Somebody Is Waiting For You
by vulpixfairy
Summary: Takes place before Good Birthday Company and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Summary: Arthur is an orphan who wishes to be loved for who he is but is passed over for adoption because of his seemingly cold and gruff manner stemmed from the trauma in his childhood and a terrible accident. When the Jones family come to call, will Arthur's wish for a family come true? CanUSUK brotherhood
1. The Orphaned Little Boy

**Author's notes:** Finally! Here is the USUK brotherly story I promised, _Somebody Is Waiting For Us_ It has been a long time coming as life got in the way of things, including my wedding earlier this month :) This was partly inspired by Disney movie The Rescuers and hence the song title of the same name. I hope that this is worth the wait! Please enjoy the first chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 1: The Orphaned Little Boy

**"Stop pestering us, Arthur! We don't want you to play pirates with us!"**

**"You're too little to play big kids games with us!"**

**"Go away and play with your stupid imaginary friends!"**

_Big brothers...why won't you let me play with you? It looks like like fun and my friends aren't imaginary or stupid...they're real! Why can't you see that Unicorn and Brownie are beside me? They want to join in too! Don't turn away...don't leave me here!_

**"Please stop bothering me, Arthur! I'm trying to work! Stop knocking on my door and leave me alone!"**

_Daddy...I just want to talk to you what I did today...I've read two whole storybooks all by myself and I've written my very own story like these people do...it's about me having an treasure hunt with all my fairy friends and sharing it with you...I thought you might like it...why are you so angry all the time? Please open the door...why are you not answering?_

**"Stop coming into the kitchen when I'm busy cooking, Arthur! Oh my God! You are filthy and throw away those nasty weeds right now! Wait there, you're getting a bath. No dinner for you tonight for such a naughty boy!"**

Mummy...I didn't mean to make you upset...but these yellow flowers are too pretty to throw away. I thought they will look good in the kitchen...please stop scrubbing so hard...it hurts...

**"I told you countless times, Marie, Arthur is a mistake! You should have gone and get rid of him ages ago when I suggested that you have an abortion! We already got three boys and now I got another bloody mouth to feed!"**

**"Well Mr. Malcolm Kirkland, that's because we didn't use protection! I told you to use it but you said no, so it's your fault! You should force more discipline onto that kid! He is incessant and whiny, keeps on wanting to show me something when I want him somewhere else!"**

**"It's your job to raise the kids! You're the one who's supposed to keep him away while I'm working!"**

**"And another thing! I hate coming here to America and why in New York in all places?! We were fine back in England! You ruined everything!"**

**"I have no choice, do I? It's the only way to keep this family going! To have a room over our heads, to have food on the table and to keep the kids in school! So don't just blame me for everything when you haven't put in any weight to this household!"**

_Mummy...Daddy...stop fighting...and why are you saying such bad things? Why does my heart hurt? Why are my eyes hurting and filled with water? Unicorn...Brownie...please don't leave me...thank you for your hugs..._

**"Arthur is a scaredy cat! What a wimp!"**

**"He's so useless for not being able to swim!"**

**"Come on, let's be good brothers and 'teach' him!"**

_No please, big brothers! I want to finish my sandcastle for my fairies! I don't want to go! The water is too big! The water is too scary! It's so cold! Don't put me there! I don't want to go there! I DON'T WANT TO GO! HELP ME! MUMMY! DADDY!_

**"I told you to watch over your little brother, not drown him, Alistor! That's it, you and your brothers are grounded for an entire week!"**

**"It's not our bloody fault that Arthur is such a weakling! He's such a baby!"**

**"Yeah! I wish he wasn't our brother at all!"**

**"The beach was boring anyway..."**

**"Will you all just be quiet so that I can navigate out of the highway?! Honestly! One more peep out of you and I will snap!"**

_Please stop...stop...stop...no more fighting...no more shouting. I don't like the loud noises...why are the lights in front of Mummy and Daddy...Daddy...Mummy, turn around! _

_The lights are getting brighter! _

_..._

_..._

_My head hurts...my arms hurt...my legs hurt..._

_Mummy! _

_Daddy! _

_Big brothers! _

_Why aren't you moving?_

_Why is there red water all around you?_

_Why aren't you waking up?_

_Wake up..._

_Wake up._

_Wake up!_

_WAKE UP!_

* * *

"May God bless you with sweet dreams, my child..."

Mother Serenity whispered softly as she stroked the child's strawberry blonde hair with a gentle smile on her wise face. She dimmed the tiny bedside lamp to the lowest setting and carefully made her way to the door whereupon she quietly slipped out and closed it behind her. Looking down the corridor, she saw that she had one more child to bless their dreams. It had been her nightly ritual to check up on the children in her care to ensure they had a good night's sleep and it always warmed her heart to see them sleeping peacefully like angels. The other nuns had retired for the night but it was nice to have a piece of quiet solitude. She sincerely hoped that these children who were so sweet and special in their own unique ways would go to wonderful and loving families who could give them the bountiful life they deserved.

But her tender reminiscing was cut as she approached the final door because she heard soft cries coming from within. Her face turned sad, recognizing the hiccuping sobs. She gently tapped the door and the sobs slowly progressed to whimpers.

"Arthur dear? May I come in?"

Taking the silence as a sign of consent, Mother Serenity opened the door and was greeted by a pitiful sight of a little boy with messy blonde hair and tearful green eyes on his wet face. His thick eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were pursed in an effort not to cry out loud. He was clutching a white stuffed rabbit in his arms...ah yes, it was her gift to welcome him into the children's home. Some of the generous church patrons had donated some durable stuffed toys to the home and the head nun found it a worthwhile cause to give them to the new children as gifts to help them settle. The little boy had named the bunny Mr. Fluffles and it stayed with him ever since.

Mother Serenity felt that there was something special about little Arthur Kirkland the moment he stepped into her office to become a resident in the children's home. Janet, his social worker had been accompanying him to help him settle in. It was adorable to see him hiding shyly behind her legs and when she gave him the white rabbit, she was awed at how careful and tender he was towards it. During the time she came to know him and celebrated his fourth birthday, she saw the hints of sensitivity and kindness under his gruff exterior and the sparkle in his eyes practically screamed creativity and imagination. The head nun had initially thought that he came from a loving family that were the victims of a horrific car crash in which he was the sole survivor. Yet the neighbors, police testimonies and the case file compiled by Janet distorted the idyllic vision and broke her heart. She couldn't imagine why the family who brought him into this world wouldn't love this little boy before her...and having survived a horrific crash with no family...it was unimaginable for his three year old self...

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mother Serenity...I couldn't go back to sleep..." Arthur said as he looked down in shame.

"Oh my child...there's nothing to apologise when something ails you deeply and hurt your heart," Mother Serenity whispered, approaching the bed and sat down slowly. She kept a near yet respectable distance, knowing how skittish he was at times and tilted his chin. Indeed there was a deep haunting sadness swimming in those large green eyes, "Arthur, did you have a nightmare about your family?"

Arthur nodded with a soft hum. The fresh tears he held back finally spilled over his cheeks. Mother Serenity held out her arms open in invitation, silently imploring her charge to come to her. After much hesitation, the little boy crawled over to her and clutched onto her robes. He sniffled and sobbed, finally releasing the pent up cries.

"Hush...let your pain and sorrow go, Arthur..." Mother Serenity soothed the child as she rocked him back and forth.

"They didn't want me to be here...my brothers wouldn't play with me...Daddy seemed busy all the time...and Mummy...I always made her mad..." Arthur cried as the memories of the nightmare returned in full force, "What have I done to make them not like me? I must have done something wrong...I could've saved them! It's all my fault they're not here!"

Mother Serenity's heart ached upon hearing those words. It hurt even more that Arthur really and truly believed in what he said and came to hate himself for being a survivor...no child should experience such trauma and yet Arthur was the unfortunate victim. The head nun said nothing else, knowing that her words of comfort would be interpreted as empty promises to the little boy's anguished state. Instead, she decided it was best to wait until morning to give him gentle counsel and to check his well-being. The nightmares of his past often shook the boy to the core. Sad as they were, they were vivid reminders of the family he once had, other than the sparingly few photographs and the newspaper clipping of the accident he had in his possession. Mother Serenity continued to rock Arthur and hummed a lullaby to soothe his mind until he eventually fell back asleep.

* * *

Mother Serenity sighed as she finally returned to her modest bedroom after blessing Arthur's dreams and tucked Mr. Fluffles back into his arm. Tired as she was, she wasn't ready to sleep. Arthur's tears were still fresh on her mind and it briefly made her recollect on the several unsuccessful adoption appointments Arthur had since his arrival in the home. Even though the prospect families were lovely to the little boy, they felt slightly uncomfortable by his exceedingly polite manners and his neutral frowns, which unfortunately gave the misleading impression that Arthur was incapable of showing smiles and affection. Every meeting ended up with Arthur watching the family he met going home with a different child. The first family took in a little girl whose smile was as bright as sunshine and loved her new parents' cuddles. The second brought home a mischievous boy who loved baseball and connected well with his new dad. And the list continued, seemingly outlining every quality Arthur lacked to gain a new family, slowly reinforcing his belief that he was unwanted for who he was...

But Mother Serenity never gave up hope that there would be a family that could see past Arthur's silent and grumpy manner and give him a second chance for a wonderful childhood and receive the love and happiness he rightfully deserved...although he appeared indifferent to each rejected adoption in the presence of the very few friends he had among the children, Mother Serenity was the sole witness of the heartbreak marring the child's face whenever he was safe within the walls of his room watching new families leave from his window. She prayed that it would soon come to an end...making her think back on the latest applicant interested in Arthur.

The Jones family...they seemed to be like any other couple yet there was something charming and warm about them. They already had twin teenage boys but wanted another child in the family. Hopefully they would embrace Arthur for who he was and he in return would see there were others who did love and care for him. Their first visit was appointed this coming Sunday after late morning service. She would need to further read their application to see how they were like. Hopefully by then, her charge would be in better spirits...

Her head swam with better thoughts as she slipped into bed. Tomorrow she had much to do with her fellow nuns for a brand new day when the sun would bath her room in its golden glow...

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes: **I hope the first chapter has gotten you all interested in this new addition to my archives. There is more to come and I will aim to update it every week as a regular timeframe :) I welcome any positive constructive feedback and criticism. Kudos to you, my dears!


	2. Exciting News

**Author's notes:** The second chapter: now we get to know about the Jones Family...this is sort of how I pictured them to be :) it took a while to go back to my previous stories to ensure I got Alfred and Matthew in character. I know it feels a bit slow at the moment but I promise it's going to get better :) The scene near the end was inspired by the flashback scene within the Rescuers movie where Penny confides in Rufus about her insecurities of being passed over for adoption...especially the bluebirds part. Please read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 2: Exciting News

"We're home!"

The exuberant greeting made Mr. Jones look up from his newspaper. He grinned upon seeing his twin teenage sons bursting through the door, their school backpacks slung over their shoulders. The two boys grinned back in return upon seeing their father who folded up the paper and stood up from his armchair to greet them.

"Alfred! Matthew! Good to see you two home."

The twins looked very much alike save for some slight differences that were enough to tell them apart. The younger twin was Alfred who had a huge sunny smile on his face that matched the sparkling sky blue eyes hiding behind frameless glasses. A stray cowlick stood up from his short sandy blonde hair. The older twin was Matthew whose smile was calm and serene on his gentle face. Deep sapphire blue eyes hid behind thin framed black glasses and a stray long curl was present among his shoulder length wavy honey blonde locks.

"Good day at school, boys?" Mr. Jones asked.

"You bet! But it's made even better that today's Friday! Weekend's here!" Alfred shouted excitedly, making his twin and father wince slightly at the loud volume of his voice. Then he slung his arm around his twin, knuckling his shoulder gently, "Oh man! I can't wait 'til tomorrow! It's going to be so awesome!"

"Well I'm glad to see that your energetic personality and high spirits are still as intact as ever, Alfred," Mr. Jones chuckled and ruffled the said boy's hair, "I guess this means that you must have done well in your book report."

"Yup! I got a B plus for my grade. That's way better than the C grade I usually get," Alfred threw a sincere look at his twin, his sunny grin softening, "Thanks for helping me out, bro. Tomorrow's lunch is my treat, ok?"

"As long as it involves pancakes, Alfred," Matthew smiled back at his brother, "And you're welcome."

Then Mr. Jones turned to Matthew with a smile, "So how did your French test go today, Matthew?"

"It went really well, Dad. Now I just have to make sure I do the sane for my upcoming oral presentation," then Matthew stopped and scanned the room briefly, "It's a nice surprise to see you home early, Dad. Mum usually would be home before you."

"Yeah...come to think of it, where is Mum?" Alfred said.

"I'm right here, boys," the sound of a front door being closed alerted their attention. She strode up to her husband and sons, pecking them on their cheeks, "I'm sorry for coming home so late. There's been so much going on in the shop regarding the upcoming stock sale. There's still time for me to quickly cook something for you all if you like."

"Or we can quickly order pizza, soft drinks and ice cream to celebrate how well our sons did in school today?" Mr. Jones suggested, "It has been a while since we had takeaway..."

Mrs. Jones glanced at the twins who gave her hopeful puppy dog looks. She usually preferred home cooked food but she was very tired for the day...and pizza wasn't a bad idea...

"Alright, we'll have pizza tonight. But we need a vegetarian pizza in our usual order," Mrs. Jones acquiesced as she reached for the cordless phone to dial for Pizza Hut, making the boys whoop in triumph with Mr. Jones looking on in amusement.

* * *

The small family settled themselves in the living room. It was going to take some time for the delivery to arrive so they talked about their days at work and school. Mr. Jones worked as a pediatrician while Mrs. Jones worked in a popular haberdasher shop where her occasional projects were sold for good money. Before long, their usual conversation decided to take a different turn...

"We might as well use this opportunity to tell them the big news, darling."

"News? What kind of news?" Alfred's curiosity immediately picked up.

The couple smiled softly to each other before turning back to the twins.

"Boys, do you recall about our previous conversation that we might be having another addition in the family?" Mrs. Jones inquired. The two boys looked deep in thought before they nodded. It was then she noticed her younger son looked a bit confused, "Alfred? What's the matter?"

"But mum...didn't you say before that you couldn't conceive anymore because of...us...and...especially me..." Alfred looked sad as he said the last words in a soft shameful voice, causing worried looks to morph on their parents' faces.

"Oh Alfie...no...stop...don't think that way," Matthew turned to his twin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

While the twins' birth was a joyful occasion, it was also marred by near tragedy. Matthew was delivered safely but the labour process took a bit longer for Alfred. The physical and mental strain became too much to bear, consequently causing Mrs. Jones's health to spiral downwards. It took three arduous days before Alfred was finally delivered and Mrs. Jones to slowly recover from the ordeal. Unfortunately, this left her being unable to naturally conceive so the couple treasured each day watching their little boys grow up into fine young men to be proud of. Even though they were very content, their wish to have another child in the family hadn't abated after these years.

The twins eventually came to know the circumstances of their birth when their parents decided that this would be perfect to bring up the possibility of them having a new little brother or sister in the family. Alfred took the news hard and saw himself the reason why their mother wasn't able to naturally conceive more children...

"Sweetie, what happened on that day and to my body wasn't your fault or any others. It happened beyond our control. You are alive and breathing and so am I. Yes, I won't be able to give birth again but I am so blessed that I was able to bring you and Matthew into this world. I would never change it for the world because the both of you have filled our lives with indescribable joy," Mrs. Jones said, immediately scooting over to hug her son tightly, "Your brother is right: please don't think that way ever again, Alfred."

"Alright...I won't, mum..." Alfred nodded, letting Mrs. Jones peck him softly on his forehead.

"But you haven't told us the big news just yet...what is it?" Matthew reminded.

"Well, our usual routine for Sunday church service is going to be something extra special," Mr. Jones began, waiting for his younger son to be in a better mood, "We'll be going to the children's home after service to speak with Mother Serenity and Miss Janet. It's to help finalize our adoption application. It's confirmed, sons. You're going to have a new little brother!"

At once, Alfred's saddened demeanor vanished only to be replaced by a growing smile. Mrs. Jones and Matthew looked relieved upon the change. It was most unbecoming to see Alfred looking so sad...it didn't suit him at all.

"Really?! So we're going to have a little brother joining our family?" Alfred said excitedly.

"Yes, sweetie. The appointment has been arranged so I hope that you two will be on your best behavior. I believe they'll permit you two to meet and play with the other children under supervision while your father and I attend the meeting."

"That sounds cool. That's really something to look forward to," Alfred had good reason to smile. He and his twin really liked being around kids.

"A little brother...who would've thought that adoption would be the answer..." Matthew smiled at his twin, his dark blue eyes sparkling brightly, "After all these years, it'll be kind of nice to have another sibling in the house, eh?"

"You bet, Mattie! We're gonna have so much fun together! Hey, mum and dad, does it explain why the both of you are cleaning out and working on the spare room?"

"Yes, all the bed and furniture have been fixed and arranged. We bought the new upholstery and the walls have a fresh coat of paint. But we still need some things to make it more colorful and homely for our new arrival," Mr. Jones explained.

"Hey, maybe Mattie and I can rummage through the attic and see whether we could find any of our old toys for our new little brother to play with," Alfred suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea, sweetie. The more help, the better," Mrs. Jone said with approval. Just then, the doorbell rang, "It looks like the pizza is here, boys. Come on, let's have dinner and we can talk more while we eat."

* * *

Arthur watched from his open bedroom window, his green eyes focused on the new family leaving in a shiny black car. It was Elizabeta, the little Hungarian girl who loved to sing her heart out to the Heavens, especially since she got addicted to Frozen and WOULDN'T stop singing 'Let It Go'. He did think that even though she could be too annoying and talkative at times, she was nice to him and had a lovely voice. He really did feel happy for her to find her own family and hoped that her dream to become a famous singer would come true. When she looked up to him, she waved up to him as she climbed into the car. He waved back and watched the car zoom away, leaving him to think on his thoughts as he sat back on his bed. As his thoughts drifted to his upcoming meeting on Sunday, his mood soured slightly. It would be just another meeting where his prospect family would choose a different child over him. A child who smiled more...a child who was more loving...a child who was very talented. He had none of these qualities. He had gone through countless meetings and learned to not lift his hopes up to have a family like Elizabeta did...because he knew from his nightmares that if his real family didn't love him, no one would...he did have an occasional wonderful dream that a new mummy and daddy would take him into their arms and whisper 'I love you' into his ears...but it wasn't enough to dispel the ever lingering doubt. After all, there were dreams that were not meant to come true...

"Arthur?" upon the call, Arthur turned to see Mother Serenity at the doorway, her warm face had a knowing smile on her face, "I thought I'd find you here. It's nearly dinnertime."

"I see...I guess I lost track of time, Mother Serenity," Arthur said shyly, making room for the head nun to sit beside him on his bed.

"A penny for your thoughts, my child?" she asked, sitting next to him. Arthur turned away and murmured 'nothing'. Mother Serenity caught the sad look in his green eyes and gently tilted his face towards her, "Come now, Arthur. No bottled feelings and no secrets...you can tell me anything."

"I saw Elizabeta leave with her new family...I'm happy for her, really I am..." Arthur started before the sadness in the green eyes radiated onto his young facial features, "But it also made me think about Sunday..."

"You mean...the Jones family?" the nun clarified, earning a soft nod in return. She waited patiently for Arthur to collect his thoughts.

"It'll be just like the other times...I just know it...they'll look at me and then they'll choose a different boy or girl who is everything I'm not..." Arthur looked despondent as he hugged Mr. Fluffles close to his chest, "I can't play sports so well...I don't smile so easily...I'm not cuddly when they want to be...I have messy hair and ugly eyebrows that look like caterpillars. I'm not what they would want..."

"Oh, now see here, Arthur Kirkland," Mother Serenity said in a mildly stern voice, "You don't have to become different or do the things you don't like or can't do to make a new family like you. My child, you are something extra special."

Arthur shook his head and went to lean against the window, "No...that's not true. I'm nothing that s-special..."

"There is a family out there waiting to love and care for you, my child. Why, there's going to be a mummy and a daddy and perhaps some brothers and sisters who will want a little boy who has the prettiest green eyes, the softest golden hair, cute thick eyebrows and the loveliest smiles behind his frowns. They will see how imaginative and creative you are with your stories and will gush how sweet and polite you are. And you are loving in your own way. I saw you how you treated your friends and the other children with friendly respect even though your interests are different from theirs; that's saying something."

"Really? Honestly?" Arthur questioned softly, his green eyes lightening up. In doing so, he scooted closer to Mother Serenity who wasted no time to embrace him close in her arms.

"God and I know so, my child. But you've got to believe in it...keep your faith in your dream for a family," she smiled at him. Just then, a sweet twitter caught their attention, "Oh, a bluebird. Do you see it, Arthur?"

Arthur breathed in awe as the little bird suddenly perched on the window sill, peering at them with its beady black eyes. He heard about them in his stories about how they represented happiness and faith...

"Pretty bird...his feathers are so blue..." Arthur whispered.

"Indeed, Arthur. You see, faith is like that little bluebird on the window sill. You can see it from afar but it is as real and sure as a wishing star. You can't catch it or wrap it tight but it's there to make things turn out all right," Mother Serenity said in a gentle voice before addressing to the bird, "Thank you, little friend, for brightening Arthur's spirits. Best to be on your way home now."

The bluebird twittered a song before spreading its wings and flew away into the garden below. Mother Serenity glanced at her charge and her heart warned upon seeing the happy and contemplative look on Arthur's young face.

"Mother Serenity, it's really lovely to see the little bluebird. I thought they only exist in stories."

"Well, I say you are a lucky boy to have witnessed such a wonderful sight, Arthur," the head nun chuckled.

"Then it's settled...if they like me and want to adopt me...they have to adopt Mr. Fluffles too," Arthur declared as he held out Mr. Fluffles out for Mother Serenity to see. Despite being a second-hand toy, she could see that Arthur had taken care to clean its fur close to its once white colour and tied a glossy green ribbon around its neck.

"Oh, you've really groomed him well. I'm sure they'll love him, Arthur."

"Yes, he's a very polite and nice bunny and he doesn't eat much either," Arthur looked a bit hesitant, "Do you think that they'd like Unicorn, Brownie and my fairy friends too?"

Mother Serenity combed through the soft golden locks. They were his imaginary friends even though he insisted they were real, "They'll love all your friends since you sing praise of them, my child."

Arthur smiled at the nun and hugged her, "Thank you, Mother Serenity. I feel much better now."

Mother Serenity marveled at the sincere smile. It brightened Arthur's usually stoic face and his loving side was shining through. She hoped that his new prospect family would witness it too.

"You're most welcome, my child. Now I believe that dinner awaits us. It's best not to leave Father Augustus waiting too long and you know how pedantic he is with being on time," Mother Serenity ushered the little boy out of the bedroom.

"Huh, sometimes I think he cares about clocks more than anything else in the world."

"Indeed, but it's best to keep this between ourselves, my child."

"Okay."

With smiles present on their faces, Arthur obediently followed Mother Serenity to the dining room where the other nuns and children were seated. He ignored Father Augustus' disapproving stare as he found his seat beside his good friend, Lukas who gave him a nod and a tiny smile on his pale face. He and the Norwegian boy were on pretty good terms together and their similar tastes in interests and magical friends were what made their bond. As Arthur tucked in, he felt that he was kind of looking forward to Sunday. He held onto the vision of the little bluebird and memorized its sweet song...he just had to believe...

'I can't catch it or wrap it tight, but it's there to make things all right...'

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Ah...I'm quite satisfied at how this chapter ended. Anyhoo, I'll be editing the next chapter so that you lovely dears will get closer in reading the story to its entirety :) I look forward to posting the next chapter, see you soon!


	3. The Children's Home

**Author's notes:** Here's the third chapter and just in time for Mother's Day :) So far? The Jones family are finally going to the children's home for the first meeting...EXCITED! How will it turn out? Thank you for sticking to my story to those who have reviewed, favorited and followed so far. I'm so happy to see it being well received.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 3: The Children's Home

"Alfred...stop being so antsy, I can feel your fidgeting through the pew," Matthew hissed through his teeth and nudged his younger twin to keep still.

"I can't help it, Mattie. This wooden thing is too narrow and this suit is stuffy..." Alfred whined in a whispery tone.

The elder twin rolled his bespectacled eyes and sighed, "Just try to endure it for at least five more minutes for our parents' sake. The service is nearly over."

"Fine...I'll try. Father Augustus seems to get more boring each time we come to service, bro..." Alfred tried to fight back an impending yawn, "Maybe he's an alien from outer space..."

"Well...that, I agree to some extent..." Matthew smiled sympathetically, "But just think, Alfred. We'll soon find out who our new brother will be like..."

Alfred nodded in agreement. Ever since their parents announced the big news, he and Matthew wasted no time to rummage in the attic to find what they could use to brighten the new room and procure some playthings. Matthew found some old illustrated storybooks they used to read when they were little and pulled them out, thinking to make a small library for their new sibling. Meanwhile, Alfred found their old swing set they used to play in the backyard and a bunch of other knick knacks he thought their new brother would like. Among them was a vintage but still functional Care Bear nightlight. It had been their most favorite cartoon of their childhood so perhaps he would've been familiar with it. Their father had fixed the swing and looked as good as new in the backyard. The teenagers also reorganized their DVD collection to include some old favourite animated films, cartoon series and Disney movies they thought their new brother would like.

As time went on, Alfred began to imagine what their new sibling would be like. There were so any possibilities. Did he like sports? Cartoons? Disney movies? Sweets? Or maybe heroes, aliens and action figures like he did? Or even better: fast food! What sort of personality did he have? How old was he? What would he look like? But what piqued his curiosity the most was how he ended up in the children's home. The questions flooded his mind and before long, Father Augustus finally finished his sermon.

* * *

Alfred couldn't wait to exit the church and was rocking on his leather loafers as he waited for his twin and parents to emerge from the doors. They stood away from the departing crowd while Mrs. Jones checked the map on her iPhone.

"Well, I think we just have enough time to spare and make it to our appointment on time," Mr. Jones remarked when he checked his watch. He turned to his wife, "Where is the children's home, honey?"

"According to the address, it looks like it's located behind the church, darling," Mrs. Jones looked around before her eyes lit up, pointing to the cobblestone path from the car park, "Ah, that must be the path. Come on, let's not dilly-dally."

The family followed the path until they saw a sandstone and brick building that resembled an old fashioned schoolhouse back in the old days. Yet in its age old structure, there was a warm beauty to the place due to the deep green vines covering the walls and circling the columns as well as the mighty tall oak trees giving natural shade around the vicinity. Adding quaint charm to the place was a noticeable plot where fresh herbs and vegetables were grown. As they approached, they could hear the chattering and laughter coming from within and behind the building that sounded like a nest of songbirds.

"This must be the place...my goodness, the children must live well here under the guidance of the nuns that run the home..." Mrs. Jones deduced from the laughter. She went to the door and rang the doorbell.

After a while, they heard footsteps coming to their direction before the door was carefully opened. A young nun was before them, her hazel eyes filled with warmth.

"Yes, may I help you? I'm Sister Diane."

"Good morning, Sister Diane. We're here to see Mother Serenity and Miss Janet. My husband and I are here to finalize our adoption application. These are our sons. I do hope that you don't us bringing them along."

"Ah, you must be the Jones family. Mother Serenity and Miss Janet are expecting you. And your sons are welcome to join us with the children during your meeting. Please come right in."

* * *

As Sister Diane led them down the corridor, she engaged in some light conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Jones while Matthew and Alfred took the chance to look around in their surroundings. Alfred, in particular, could see there were doors lining the cream coloured walls that were decorated with religious paintings and printed quotes from the Bible. Some of the doors had a wooden plaque with a name, making him presume that they were currently occupied. He quickly peeked through one of the partially opened marked doors and saw that it must have belonged to a young child, judging by the very few toys and the small bed contained within.

"Alfred...did you see the size of the beds?" Alfred turned to Matthew and saw that he too had peeked in the rooms, "They're small...and there are some cots too."

Alfred blanched slightly upon the word 'cots', a knot forming in his stomach, "These kids...they are that young? There're babies here too?"

"I'm afraid that's true, my child..." Sister Diane had a melancholic look on her face as she traced one of the plaques in a gentle reverent stroke, "Our children have been through a lot before they came to live here under our roof...some were left abandoned on our doorstep...others came here because of unspeakable tragedy...or even because their parents couldn't take care of them due to circumstances beyond their control. Some of the younger children may not even remember who their real parents are by the time they are adopted."

Alfred felt his heart ache upon hearing the statement. He couldn't imagine being young, alone and not having any solid memory of their parents and siblings. If he didn't have his mum, dad and twin brother...he didn't know what he'd do. The thought of these young children with nothing made him clench his fists.

"These kind of things shouldn't happen to them..." Alfred said softly with a slight edge to his tone, "They don't deserve any of this..."

"No, they don't, my child. I know you feel for them and I can tell you have such an altruistic soul. But even from their sad pasts, their futures can still be bright and wonderful for them under loving care and guidance from those who would accept them. And you and your family are one of them to give these children that special chance," Sister Diane said gently before stopping at a closed door with a gold handle. She knocked on the door before a sweet voice gave them permission to enter.

Mother Serenity smiled upon seeing the little family enter with Sister Diane. She took off her spectacles as she walked around her desk to shake their hands. Janet looked pristine as she smiled at them, "Ah, you must be the Jones family. I'm Mother Serenity and this is Janet, a social worker who works closely with us. I'm looking forward to talking with you."

"As do we indeed, Mother. I'm Thomas. This is my wife, Emily and these are our boys, Alfred and Matthew," Mr. Jones introduced his family as they each shook their hands in return.

"What fine young men you have raised," the head nun smiled at the boys, earning a blinding grin from Alfred and a soft sincere smile from Matthew.

"Reverend Mother, I hope it is not too forward of me to suggest that Alfred and Matthew would like to spend some time with the children during the meeting," Sister Diane inquired, "We'll make sure that they're well supervised, of course."

Mother Serenity looked thoughtful for a moment before an approving smile graced her face, "Yes, it's a refreshing idea. It has been a long while since the children have met older visitors. Which is, of course, if you'd like to join them?"

"We'd love to, ma'am," Alfred immediately stood up, bringing his twin in agreement too.

"Well now, it's settled. Sister Diane, please be sure to bring some refreshments for our guests upon your return."

"Yes, Reverend Mother."

* * *

"It appears that the paperwork is all in order, Mother Serenity," Janet remarked as she browsed through the application folder before handing a blue folder to the head nun, "I believe we can formally start the meeting before the child gets here. I have his folder right here."

"Ah yes, thank you, Janet. Thomas and Emily, first off, I wish to thank you both and your sons for taking the time to come to the children's home. The prospect child you're going to meet is Arthur Kirkland. He will be arriving here shortly," Mother Serenity opened the folder where the young boy's photo was visible and showed it to the couple.

"What a precious little boy..." Mrs. Jones crooned as she took in his features. Even though he wasn't smiling in the photo, she had never seen such vibrant green eyes under those thick eyebrows, "What do you think, darling?"

"He certainly have some striking features. He must be quite a serious young man," Mr. Jones remarked in agreement, "His name...it's sounds almost British, isn't it?"

"You're right there, Thomas. He was originally from England. His family immigrated here when he was very young," Janet said.

"How exactly did Arthur end up in the children's home? What happened to his real family?" Mrs. Jones asked.

It was then they saw surprise flooding the women's faces before being replaced by fleeting sad looks.

"Mother Serenity? Miss Janet? Did we say something wrong?"

"No no, Emily. It's just that...Arthur's past isn't a very happy one. Thomas and Emily...what we are going to tell you is a lot to take in but it's to better understand why Arthur is the way he is. I hope the both of you are ready for a long story."

"Tell us everything. We want to know everything about Arthur Kirkland."

* * *

"The children are outside for their afternoon play. You are welcome to join in anytime you wish. It's just through here."

Sister Diane opened the door and they were greeted by the loud chatters and ringing laughter. It was a lovely sight to behold. The wide outdoor premises were graced by more towering oak trees, garden plots filled with flowers and benches for relaxing. But what added the colour to the area was the small but well used playground, consisting of two swing sets, a slide, a wheel roundabout and a climbing frame. It was no wonder that the children must enjoy being outside and were up and about in their business. They were either playing games and chatting away in their small groups, having fun with the equipment in the playground or helping the gardener to water the flowers in the small plots. The other nuns present were either supervising with watchful eyes, interacting with the children during their activities or cradling the babies and some of the tired younger children as they napped in their arms.

"Children! We have some visitors joining us this afternoon!" Sister Dianne called out to the children who immediately stopped what they were doing, "Please be sure to make them feel welcome. It's their first time visiting here."

After Sister Diane left, some of the children cheerfully approached them, tugging on their hands and asking for their names. Matthew was immediately dragged away by two little girls and a slightly older boy who wanted to show him the flowers they helped the gardener plant. Alfred chuckled at the adorable sight of Matthew graciously allowing the children to thread some of the stray flowers into his wavy hair. As Alfred allowed himself to be led to by two excited boys to play soccer with them, he felt a strange sensation that he was being watched intently...

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Ah ha...So the Jones family have finally come to visit...and Alfred is being watched...but by who? Let's see how the next chapter will develop in the following week. Thank you for reading and look forward to the next post! Kudos, my dears :)


	4. The First Meeting

**Author's notes:** Arthur finally gets to meet his new parents...will they like him? Oh, the suspense! Let's see how the plot will develop, eh? This story was getting easier to write and edit while the idea was fresh on my mind...the ending will be tricky but there's still time for me to think out until it comes. Anyhows, let's read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 4: The First Meeting

Arthur held Mr. Fluffles close to his chest as he continued watching the other children play with the two visitors from the distant benches under the shade of the oak trees. It was rare to see the older kids come and play with them. He was currently being cuddled by Sister Francine as she combed his hair and whispered hushed words to him. He winced slightly as the dull aches resonated in his belly. It sucked that he had to get a terrible stomachache and having a mild fever at the same time yesterday. Luckily, the symptoms had lessened significantly, making him relatively well enough to proceed with the meeting. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and he wished he could join in if he wasn't feeling tired. They really looked like nice boys. He was particularly fixated on the boy with the strange cowlick in the short sandy blonde hair and bespectacled eyes that reminded him of a bright summer's sky. He was playing soccer with some of the older boys. He knew that the older boys didn't like him to play because he was told he was too slow and scrawny...but maybe when the older boy was finished, maybe he could ask if he would play with him next...

"It'll be nearly time to meet Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Arthur," was the gentle reminder as the soft stroking on his back turned into pats, "Shall we get going?"

"Can't we stay a while longer?" Arthur asked.

"I'm afraid not, my child. Our other visitors are expecting your presence and it's best not to keep them waiting," Sister Francine reasoned. She followed his gaze to the two older boys and saw the source of his reluctance to leave, "I'm very sure they'll still be here after the meeting. The sooner we meet your prospect family, the sooner you can meet them, all right?"

Arthur nodded in resignation and reluctantly followed Sister Francine. He really hoped that she would be right...he didn't want them to leave just yet...

* * *

By the time the couple had finished listening to Mother Serenity and Janet, the couple was left breathless with horrified incredulity and sadness combined. Mr. Jones looked grim while Mrs. Jones was dabbing the tears away from her eyes.

"So you mean to say that Arthur endured all this? Everything that was in his folder is true?" Mr. Jones gestured to Arthur's folder.

"Yes, Thomas. That's why Arthur is the way he is. He may appear to be gruff and indifferent at times. But like any other child, he deserves a second chance for love and happiness. It is with our hope that your family can give that chance to him..." Janet took a deep breath before continuing, "I thought that I should let you know that you are the first family to ever ask of Arthur's circumstances and how he came to be here..."

"Oh Arthur...the poor darling..." Mrs. Jones shook her head, her eyes still trained on the photo.

Just then, they were interrupted by a soft knock and Sister Francine entered with Arthur behind her. Upon seeing the couple, Arthur instinctively hid behind the dark billowing robes. He felt gentle fingers running though his blonde locks.

"Come now, Arthur. There's no need to be shy," Sister Francine ushered him forward towards the free chair, "Let's sit down, my child."

Arthur looked up to the couple as soon as he clambered onto his chair. He felt his cheeks heat up as their gazes were set on him. As he continued staring at them, he took in what he saw...their faces appeared nice and kind just like the other couples that visited. However there was something different about them, it was the look in their eyes: they were filled with warmth and understanding.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. My name is Arthur...it's very nice to meet you," Arthur said in a soft voice, squeezing Mr. Fluffles close to his chest to quell the nervous queasiness inside him. It nerved him that he still felt that anxious ache even after so many meetings.

"My goodness, what beautiful manners for such a fine young man. Hello, Arthur dear," Mrs. Jones greeted back with a gentle smile, "It's a pleasure for us to meet you too. We've heard about you from Mother Serenity and Miss Janet."

Arthur remained silent...it wasn't because he didn't want to answer back to her sweet words. She reminded him of a beautiful angel he often read in his storybooks. It was because he didn't like the way his belly was starting to ache again...

Mr. Jones started to notice that Arthur was starting to wince and had an arm covering his little tummy. He frowned with concern upon seeing the glassy look in his green eyes. His instincts as a doctor came through as he leaned forward to pat his head once he was quite near to the boy, "My dear boy? Are you alright? Is your stomach hurting you?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Jones...really..." Arthur felt a bit surprised by the man's concern and how he discerned that his belly hurt. He drew away from the caring touch. No other grown up had asked how he felt...he took in the man's facial features...he reminded him of a wise and kind king...the sight somehow made the ache go away...for now.

"Oh, what an adorable bunny you have with you, Arthur," Mrs. Jones remarked upon seeing the white stuffed bunny, "What's its name?"

Arthur gasped softly in amazement. This was another surprise. This was the first time the grown ups noticed Mr. Fluffles. He felt his nervousness ebb away as he carefully placed the toy bunny on the table, "This is my best friend in the world, Mr. Fluffles."

"Is that so? Hello, Mr. Fluffles, it's nice to meet you. You are so lucky to be taken care of by Arthur," Mr. Jones extended his hand and shook the bunny's paw while smiling at Arthur.

From that moment, the ice broke between the two parties. Arthur gave occasional small smiles at the couple as he answered their questions about Mr. Fluffles, his likes and dislikes and how he was living in the children's home. All the while, Mother Serenity, Sister Francine and Janet looked on with growing hope on their faces.

Arthur had to admit that the Jones family weren't like the other couples at all. He felt strangely comfortable with them. They didn't mind if he didn't smile all the time or if he shied away when they came too close. And they even wanted to know about Unicorn, Brownie and all his fairy friends! Maybe...maybe Mother Serenity was right...his wish for a family just might come true after all.

* * *

But the elation was short-lived when his stomachache started to flare up again and it made him wince harder and tears to appear in his eyes. Concern flooded into the adults' faces.

"Arthur dear!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed as she stood up from her chair to steady him.

"Hurts...my tummy hurts..." Arthur whimpered before pulling away in embarrassment even though she smelled lovely like Spring flowers.

"My child? Oh, here, here..." Mother Serenity knelt by Arthur and Mrs. Jones and softly patted his shoulders.

"Is he okay, Mother Serenity?" Mr. Jones asked as he knelt by his wife's side.

The head nun turned to the couple, "Arthur was feeling unwell yesterday from a terrible stomachache. His symptoms had improved but it seems that he's not one hundred percent well just yet. I think it's best to end the meeting for the sake of Arthur's health."

"Of course, Mother Serenity. Actually, may I just quickly do a quick checkup while I'm still present?"

"Oh my, I've forgotten that you're a pediatrician. Please that would be most helpful."

"Arthur, I'm just going to look over you, okay? Quick and easy," Mr. Jones said in a deep reassuring voice.

Arthur hesitantly nodded and leaned back against Mother Serenity for support. He shivered upon feeling the large palms brushing over his warm forehead and gently pressing his tummy, asking whether it hurt. It didn't hurt where he pressed but he could still feel the ache within...

"I don't think Arthur is in serious illness. But his upset stomach must be dealt with. Please make sure that he drinks plenty of fluids and have plain foods for his meals. Light soups, rice and toast are the most reliable to soothe an upset stomach," Mr. Jones deduced.

"Does that mean I can't have tea?" Arthur asked in a small voice, feeling slightly sad that he couldn't have his favorite foods like fish and chips or scones with jam. It would be terrible if he couldn't at least have tea...

"My my...we have a tea connoisseur...how darling!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed with pleasant surprise.

"On the contrary, there are certain teas that are good for your sore tummy. Peppermint tea or chamomile tea will do the trick just fine. Will they suit you to the taste?" Mr. Jones observed the sad look melting away to a relieved one on the little boy's face. Then Arthur nodded in agreement to his statement, "You must like tea very much...you are an interesting young man..."

It was then Arthur turned shy once again. But what made Mr. and Mrs. Jones hearts soar was the small smile that accompanied the shy look. It was indeed lovely to behold as Mother Serenity and Janet said...right there and then, they knew they had to make him smile again once he has gotten better...and more...

"We do hope that Arthur becomes well soon. If Arthur is not feeling any better in the next days, I'm happy to come for a house call to check up on him," Mr. Jones offered.

"Thank you for your kind concern over Arthur. We'll be sure to keep in mind of your offer," Mother Serenity said gratefully.

"Come, Arthur. I think we should let you rest in bed for your aching tummy," Sister Francine moved to take the boy into her arms. Just then, Arthur started crying and struggled slightly, "My child?"

"Not fair! Not fair!" Arthur cried out suddenly as huge tears ran down his face, startling the adults, "I don't want to go to bed! I want to go back and see the big boys outside afterwards! You promised! You promised!"

"My goodness, I had never seen you so agitated before, Arthur," Janet remarked as she tried to soothe the still crying boy as he was transferred to Mother Serenity's embrace.

"I want to play with the big boys! I want to play with the big boys!" Arthur kept on chanting as the tears continued rolling down his red face.

"Big boys?" Mr. Jones's eyes widened in realization, "Oh, Arthur. You must be referring to Alfred and Matthew."

"You didn't get a chance to meet them, didn't you, sweetie?" Mrs. Jones deduced as she watched Arthur visibly calm down and his sobs softening. He gave a shaky nod, feeling slightly dizzy and tired. He closed his eyes and gave into the fatigue, lulled by the gentle rocks. Then she turned to Mother Serenity with a pleading smile on her face, "If you please, Mother Serenity, will you permit our sons to see Arthur briefly before he goes to bed? I'm sure that they'll be very interested to meet their new brother before the next family visit, we hope."

A surge of great warmth flooded Mother Serenity's heart upon Mrs. Jones's last statement, threatening to overwhelm her with happiness for her charge. Could it mean that...

"We want Arthur in our family, Mother Serenity," Mr. Jones affirmed the nun's optimistic thoughts as he patted the sleeping boy's back softly. He was gazing at Arthur with deep love in his dark eyes, "Even though our first meeting together has been brief, we feel a strong connection with him and I'm sure our sons will feel the same...we want to give him everything and more to make him see that he deserves to be loved and cherished as our son."

"Thomas and Emily...there are no words to express the gratitude, happiness and elation I have for you," Mother Serenity said with sincerity, "Will the following Saturday will suitable for the next meeting to finalise the adoption process?"

"That's absolutely perfect, Mother Serenity. This time the whole family would like to be present to see Arthur. And we would like your permission to take him out for an excursion. We want him to take him somewhere that was special to us and have a great time with us."

"That's a wonderful idea, Emily. I'll give you the permission form for you to fill out. Sister Francine, I'll take Arthur to his bedroom shortly. Please let Alfred and Matthew know that it's time to leave and that they're going to make a quick visit."

"Yes, Reverend Mother. And I'll make some chamomile tea in the kitchen for Arthur after I inform the boys."

"Yes, that'll be good, Sister Francine."

* * *

Alfred and Matthew rushed back into the home to see their parents and Mother Serenity talking in hushed tones. Their father was scribbling furiously on a clipboard with a concentrated expression on his face. But what surprised the twins the most was the little boy currently dozing off in the head nun's arms.

"Ah, my dear boys, I trust you had fun with the children?" Mother Serenity asked.

"We did, Mother Serenity. They've been wonderful to us," Matthew answered before gazing at the little boy. His dark blue eyes widened in awe behind his glasses before Alfred gave the same reaction, "Hey...isn't he..."

"Yes, boys. Meet your new little brother," Mrs. Jones smiled, "His name is Arthur. The poor thing wasn't feeling well today because of his sore little tummy."

"He didn't have a chance to meet you both personally and he was pretty distressed when he couldn't," Mother Serenity explained.

"Oh, the poor thing...no wonder there were dried tears on his cheeks," Matthew's eyes softened.

"Really? That explained why I got a strange sensation like I was being watched. Awww, look how cute he is. Arthur, huh? Like as in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? That's really cool..." Alfred scooted closer with a grin on his face. He took in the child's sleeping features and carefully threaded his fingers in the messy blonde hair, "Wow...I never thought that messy hair like this feels that soft..."

Arthur opened his bleary eyes upon feeling soothing caresses on his head. He was beside with extreme surprise to find the two boys he watched earlier up close to him, so much so that he dropped his bunny by accident.

"Ah! Mr. Fluffles!" Arthur exclaimed anxiously.

"Here, here, I'll get it for you," Alfred scooped up the bunny and held it to Arthur who immediately took it from him and hugged the toy close.

"Thank you..."

"Hey, no need for thanks, little buddy. Mr. Fluffles sounds like a funny name you have for your bunny."

"It's not funny. It's a nice name for a good bunny. Don't make fun of him!" Arthur weakly defended as he frowned at the older boy. He would've added more fire to his statements if he weren't this tired now...

"Oops! My bad! It's just I never hadn't heard that kind of name before. Hey, my name is Alfred and this is my other bro, Matthew. But you can call him Mattie too if you like," Alfred gestured to the other teenager behind him.

"Hello there, Arthur," Matthew gently greeted with a small smile, "It's nice to finally meet you..."

"Alfred...and...Matthew..."

Arthur's frown softened and looked between them, he should've known that they were brothers since they look almost the same. He nuzzled against Mother Serenity's shoulder as he gave out a huge yawn.

"No...don't want to sleep..." Arthur weakly protested as he was rocked gently.

"Arthur, you don't want to keep the aches in your tummy, do you?" a whine was the head nun's response, "You'll feel better once you have sufficient rest and some lunch. And besides, they'll be back soon for another visit."

"Hey, you'll get to spend more time with me and Mattie when we visit here again," Alfred grinned at the tired boy and clasped one of his small hands in his, "It's a hero's promise. And a hero NEVER breaks his word."

"Really? You promise?"

"Really really, buddy."

Mother Serenity watched Arthur shyly smile at the two older boys before falling back asleep. She turned to the family.

"Here you go, Mother Serenity. I trust the permission form is in order?" Mr. Jones inquired as he held out the clipboard for the head nun to read.

"Yes, it's fine, Thomas. Thank you for taking the time to fill it out. Please leave it on the table by the door. I'll confirm the details of the next meeting in another phone call in the coming week. I just want to make sure Arthur recovers fully before then. I trust that the contact details you've given me will suffice for communication purposes."

"Yes, Mother Serenity. Please call either my wife's or my office numbers in the morning as we're usually free in that timeframe. Oh, and do let me know how Arthur's doing with his sore tummy," Mr. Jones confirmed.

"Of course, Mr. Jones."

"Come on, boys. It's time to leave," Mrs. Jones called to the twins.

"Wait for a second, mum," Alfred softly smiled at the slumbering Arthur while Matthew gently ruffled his hair, "See you soon, Artie. Get well soon so that we can play with you, okay?"

"N-not Artie..." was the mumbled response, making the teenagers chuckle before joining their family. Alfred delayed for a while as he gave a now sleeping Arthur one last lingering look with a bright grin and finally exited through the door.

"I think that went really well, Mother Serenity," Janet commented before observing the sleeping boy and pushed a stray blonde strand from his forehead, "Things are finally looking up for you, Arthur."

"Indeed, Janet. Thank you for coming over today, my dear. Please stay a while longer to have some tea. It's the least I can do to repay you for what you've done to help today."

"Thank you for the kind offer but I really should be going. Let me know how it goes with Arthur on the second meeting."

"I will, Janet. Please take care."

After seeing the social worker out, Mother Serenity carried Arthur back to his bedroom and carefully set him back onto his bed. She sighed happily as she stroked his temple and having recalled the small smiles the little boy gave to his potential parents and big brothers during the meeting.

"It appears that your wish is coming true, Arthur. I hope that your dreams will be blessed from now on."

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Awww...it looks like things are looking up. The next chapter will be more of an insight of little Arthur as told by his new family and what they discovered about his past...hope that will keep you all more interested in the story and thank you for keeping track of this little gem in the making :) As always positive constructive criticism and feedback are welcome. Kudos to you all, my dears!


	5. The Story Of An Unloved Little Boy

**Author's notes:** This chapter got me a bit teary eyed during the writing and editing process but it's finally finished! This is the chapter where Alfred and Matthew learn about their new little brother. What will they hear? And I just have to add in the verses of 'Someone's Waiting For You' from The Rescuers movie to serve as a lullaby. Please read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie. The movie song of The Rescuers 'Someone's Waiting For You' was performed by Shelby Flint and belongs to the Walt Disney Company for thinking up such wonderful music for their movies.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation. Words in italics indicate singing lyrics.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 5: The Story Of An Unloved Little Boy

"Hey mum and dad, I know that it's cool we get to see Artie again next weekend but me and Mattie didn't have time to spend time with Artie since we were so busy with the other kids. We want to know more about him since he's going to be with us," Alfred commented as he helped himself to more mashed potatoes.

"Alfred's right. We know next to nothing about our new little brother. You got to spend to spend time with him. What's he like?" Matthew concurred as he took a bite of his roast chicken.

"I think it's best to continue this conversation over dessert, sons. What Mother Serenity and Miss Janet told us is something that will take some time to take in. Arthur's story of how he ended up as an orphan wasn't a happy one...and his childhood wasn't all roses either..." Mr. Jones said, taking a sip of his lemonade.

"What do you mean?" Alfred frowned. He didn't like the way it sounded but it piqued his curiosity all the same.

"Let's follow your father's suggestion, Alfred. As he said, we'll continue this conversation later over our dessert," Mrs. Jones promised.

* * *

As the little family shared a huge fruit platter, tea and hot cocoa, Mr. and Mrs. Jones waited for their sons to settle before reiterating what Mother Serenjty and Janet told them about Arthur's past and how he ended up in the children's home...

"Arthur and his family originally came from England, which the both of you could probably tell by his name. Apparently, they came here to New York for a fresh start and due to his father's work," Mr. Jones started, "Arthur is the youngest of four boys and there were his parents, of course."

"Wow...three older brothers? Seriously? That must've been really cool for Artie. Just like I'm lucky to have an awesome big bro like Mattie," Matthew gave a modest smile and patted his twin's sandy locks as Alfred swung an arm around his shoulders. But the jovial attitude dimmed upon seeing their parents' sad smiles, "Mum? Dad?"

"Unfortunately little Arthur didn't have the same loving relationship with his brothers like you two do, Alfred..." Mrs. Jones sighed as she shook her head, "It was hard for Arthur being the youngest in the family. His brothers made fun of him...and often and in extreme cases...bullied him too..."

"B-Bully?" Matthew said softly, trying to comprehend what their mother just said, "Arthur was bullied by his own brothers?"

"Yes, from what we were told, he was excluded from their games, they called him very heartbreaking names that made him doubt himself and they were being rough with him..." Mrs. Jones clarified, "I know that the both of you have your rough moments together but what Arthur had experienced was far worse...he was being totally uncared by your older brothers whom he looked up to..."

Alfred felt his heart freeze upon hearing the word 'bully' and the atrocious things the older boys had done to their little brother. Just as their mother said, he and Matthew had their usual rounds of bickering and rough play but their strong brotherly love for each other often prevailed. Making harmless fun of your sibling was one thing but bullying...he hated bullying above all else. It made him recall the times when he defended his older twin from some of their callous schoolmates because of his gentle nature and his hobbies of cooking and literature, which were considered strange and quirky to them. In return, Matthew gave Alfred the grounding to quell his irrationality and helped him with his schoolwork.

Then...what about Arthur's parents? Didn't they do anything to help their youngest son?

"If Artie was being bullied, surely his mum and dad would do something about it? Didn't he say anything?" Alfred asked, a frown marring his sunny face.

"We don't know. They must have tried to intervene multiple times...but they must have given up since the older boys wouldn't listen..." Mrs. Jones watched Alfred clench a fist against his knee, "But then again, his parents haven't exactly been very loving and nurturing to him since he was born..."

Matthew looked shocked, "What...surely they wouldn't neglect him of the basic needs-"

"No, no, Matthew. Not in that sense. What your father and I mean is that Arthur was largely ignored or punished for little insignificant things that could be overlooked or be corrected upon with gentle guidance. I don't ever recall him ever receiving any affection in return like a kiss or a hug...that was why he was skittish when we first saw him...the poor thing clearly looked uncomfortable when your father and I were in close proximity with him."

"He clearly wanted to show us that he really did like us...but I guess he was a bit scared to express it and be treated callously like his real parents...we saw the longing in his eyes..." Mr. Jones then bore a dark look as he recounted a detail he and his wife wished he hadn't heard, "And the worst part was during an interview of sorts, they mentioned that Arthur wasn't meant to be here...he was a mistake..."

Matthew squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, not liking the implication in the last sentence, "Dad...are you saying that his parents..."

Mr. Jones clasped his wife's hand as he nodded gravely, "Yes, Matthew. They didn't plan on having another child to add to the family. Arthur happened to come along...but I can't imagine what the poor boy had to endure up to this point."

"Then...how did Arthur come to be In the children's home?" Matthew observed that Alfred had been silent all this while and noted his tense posture, 'Alfie...'

"He was the sole survivor of a horrific car crash that happened just after he turned three years old. A commotion of sorts had caused the car to swerve and collide with another vehicle from the opposite direction. He was found crying over the lifeless bodies of his parents and brothers when the paramedics found him all battered from the accident...he was begging for them to wake up..." Mrs. Jones felt her tears resurfacing as she finished the heartbreaking story. But after a while, she managed to recompose herself, "Miss Janet had him referred to the children's home after his rehabilitation since she was familiar with his case and he's been living there ever since..."

"Son?" Mr. Jones saw that their younger son hadn't said a word and it made him concerned.

All the while, Alfred listened to everything in silence, imagining in Arthur's perspective. Being bullied by your older brothers and being ignored or punished by your parents all the time. No hugs and cuddles. No gentle kisses. No 'I love you' being said. No words of comfort. He felt himself growing angrier and sadder by the minute. The aches he felt for the little boy translated into angry tears. Why did Arthur have to suffer by himself when his family was supposed to love and care for him?

"Darling?" Mrs. Jones stood up from her seat and knelt by Alfred's side, patting his tense arm.

"I hate them..." Alfred's voice was hard and strained, "I hate them for what they did to Arthur. He was only a kid and they didn't do anything to love and protect him! He doesn't deserve all of this!"

Alfred finally sat up straight and wiped the angry tears from his red eyes. Matthew wasted no time to embrace his twin. Alfred always wore his big heart on his sleeve and it was stories like this that distressed him to the core.

"Alfred, darling. You're right. Arthur didn't deserve all that happened to him. His family had failed to love and guide him as they should. But we still have to be thankful to them for one thing," Mrs. Jones soothed and gently smiled at Alfred's incredulous expression, "They brought Arthur into this world and we will give him the love, guidance and acceptance his family neglected to give. Your father and I are so blessed to have such wonderful boys who we know will be good to their new little brother. I can trust you and Matthew to love and protect him once the adoption is finalized."

"Son, you always told us that you're a hero to defend those who need protection. Just as Matthew is a good brother to you and you to him, you can do the same for Arthur," Mr. Jones added, "We promised Mother Serenity that we will be meeting Arthur again for a proper visit and we're going out together for the day. We're counting on you and Matthew to do your best to make him feel welcome in our family."

Alfred mulled over what his parents said. True as they were, the younger teenager felt he wasn't quite ready to let go of his hatred to Arthur's real family for what they did to the little boy...

"It still doesn't change the fact that I hate them...because of them, Artie didn't have a good start in life..." Alfred said softly.

"And that is understandable why you may think so, Alfred," Mr. Jones replied in a gentle firm voice, "But to little Arthur, they were his world. A child would unconditionally love his or her family regardless of what they did to them and he is no different. Arthur's sad beginning doesn't define his whole story. It's up to us to give Arthur a new lease in life...one that will be filled with happy memories with his new family."

"And I'm sure he's going to love us as his big brothers...especially you, Alfie. You're such a natural with kids. This is your big chance to be a hero to him, don't you think?" Alfred turned to find his older twin smiling at him as he grasped his shoulders.

Alfred felt a great weight evaporate from his chest upon Matthew's encouraging words. Yes...even though Arthur's real family had failed him, Alfred swore that he would be a heroic big brother to him and show him that he deserved to be loved and accepted for who he was. He recalled the moment Arthur smiled at him and Matthew when he made a hero's promise to come back and play with him...he had to make that sweet smile appear on that cute grumpy little face again.

"You're right, Mattie. A hero has to keep his promise and uphold his duty..." a confident grin graced his cheerful face as he turned to face his twin, "And I promise that I'll be a good brother to Artie."

"That's the spirit," Matthew softly beamed along with their relieved parents.

Alfred looked outside the window in the living room to see the night sky. It was a lovely sight to see the stars sparkling so brightly. Then he smiled upon seeing the largest and brightest star shining above the rest and it made him wonder about the little boy who was going to be their new little brother.

"Hmmm...I wonder if Artie can see the night sky like we do here at home...hope he sleeps well tonight," the bright smile on Alfred's face turned soft, "We'll see you soon, little bro..."

* * *

"How are you feeling, my child?" Mother Serenity asked as she placed the spoon into the near empty bowl on the tray that was balanced on her lap.

Arthur gave a small burp behind his hand before smiling softly at the head nun, clutching Mr. Fluffles close to his chest, "Much better, Mother Serenity...the soup was yummy and the tea made the aches lessen in my tummy..."

"I'm glad to hear that," she smiled back and gently combed through the damp blonde hair, "It's a good thing the fever is finally gone now. You'll be on the mend in no time."

The little boy was currently propped up in bed with extra pillows. He was covered in a light sweat, a good sign that his light lingering fever had finally broken. But what made Mother Serenity sigh with relief was Arthur slowly but surely regaining his appetite. She had asked the cook to give the child some light soup for him to eat and plenty of water and chamomile tea for him, just as Mr. Jones advised.

"It must be a real treat for you to finally meet those older boys, dear."

Arthur's eyes shone brightly as jewels even though he looked quite tired, "Yes, Alfred promised that he and Matthew will come back again to visit and play with me..."

"Yes, he did. That's because they'll be here with Mr. and Mrs. Jones for the second meeting. You are going to meet and play with your older brothers this coming weekend..."

Mother Serenity observed the thoughtful and confused frown morphing on the young face as she let the words sink into his mind. Arthur was a smart boy...he would soon figure out the happy news for himself. Sure enough, the frown transformed to one filled with incredulous shock...then to one with a watery smile. Arthur felt his heart ache. His bottom lip trembled and his green eyes began filling up with tears...

"I...I...I...I have a s-second meeting?" Arthur sniffled, his little heart thumping fast to match his hiccups, "They w-want to s-see me again?"

"Yes, dear. And you're going to have a special treat. Your new family will be taking you out on the day too. And before long, you'll be going home with them."

"Does...this...going...o-out...Mother Seren-"

"Yes, my child...it's finally happened," Mother Serenity said soothingly, embracing her charge after she placed the tray aside, "You're finally going to a family who will love you and take care of you..."

"Then...w-why...c-c-c-can't I s-stop crying w-w-when I'm s-so happy?" Arthur's stammered words mixed with his sobs, clutching onto the dark robes.

"It has been an overwhelming day for you, Arthur...and your tears of happiness are nothing to be ashamed of. Your dream is finally coming true," Mother Serenity explained tenderly, patting the small heaving body against her, "There, there...let it out...you're all right now..."

"M-Mother..." Arthur let out a huge yawn, giving small hiccups and struggling to stay awake, "It...it has to be a dream...g-good t-things like this...don't happen to me..."

"Nonsense...like your friends, you deserve a family that loves you and will take care of you, my child..." Mother Serenity lightly chided as she combed his golden blonde hair.

"B-But...at the same time...I feel scared..." Arthur confessed as his grip on his toy bunny tightened. The elation on his face turned to one of surfacing doubt and sadness, "What if they suddenly change their minds and...not want me...what if I turn out to be someone that's not right for them..."

"Oh Arthur...you'll soon see that everything will turn out fine," Mother Serenity whispered softly, "These good people won't turn away from you. They want you. They have chosen you. You have to keep on believing, my child..."

Arthur nodded slowly even though he was still crying. Mother Serenity began humming a melody and rocked the tired boy back and forth. Sensing that he was calming down, the head nun began to sing...

"_Don't cry, little one. There'll be a smile where a frown used to be. You'll be part of the love that you see. Someone's waiting for you..._" Mother Serenity paused to wipe away Arthur's tears. She sighed with relief that Arthur stopped crying, "_Always keep a little prayer in your pocket and you're sure to see the light. Soon there'll be joy and happiness and your little world will be bright..._"

Soothed by the lullaby, Arthur eventually fell asleep in her arms. Careful in her movements, the head nun carefully placed the little boy back onto his bed and covered him with the comforter after making sure Mr. Fluffles was safe in his arms. She decided that he needed some reassurance to ensure he had pleasant dreams of his new family tonight and sang one more time.

"_Have faith, little one, 'til your hopes and your wishes come true. You must try to be brave, little one. Someone's waiting to love you..._" Mother Serenity dimmed the lights and brushed her fingers against his forehead, "Have sweet dreams, Arthur. The love and happiness you deserve is within your grasp..."

Mother Serenity quietly exited the bedroom, enthralled that her words had been taken to heart as a small smile curled on his once sad face. Outside, the night sky shone and glowed with the many stars painting the darkness...save for a lone bright large star shining the brightest and casting its glow onto the slumbering boy...

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Okay...let's take a breather...Arthur's wish is finally coming true! What is this excursion the Jones family have in store for him? Well my dears, you will all have to wait and see! See you in the next chapter, kudos to you all :)


	6. The Second Meeting

**Author's notes:** Finally! Saturday has arrived and the Jones family are ready to take little Arthur out for the day...but not before with some more brotherly bonding :) I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter 'cause I sure enjoyed writing it :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 6: The Second Meeting

Saturday had to be the best day of the week and it was even more so for Alfred who was finishing in changing into his casual clothes after his morning shower. This was finally the day when he and the rest of the family would have a proper meeting with their new little brother. In truth, he felt excited...and nervous too...how would Arthur think of him and Matthew as his new big brothers given the terrible experiences he had with his own big brothers before the accident happened?

'No, don't think that. I'm going to show Artie that I won't be like them...I'll be a good big brother and a hero to him...' Alfred thought to himself, recalling the shy smile the little boy gave him before he fell asleep. He grinned, feeling slightly more uplifted, "Yeah...that's what a hero does. We're going to have a lot of fun today, Artie."

Just then, he heard soft knocks on his bedroom door before it opened. Alfred saw Matthew all dressed up as well, "Hey, Alfred? You ready? Mum said breakfast is ready."

"Yeah, Mattie. I was going downstairs myself. Was a little bit lost in thought, is'all."

"Is this about Arthur, Alfred?" Matthew smiled upon seeing his twin looking sheepish as he scratched the back of his head.

"How did you know, bro?"

"You're pretty easy to read especially since you've been asking mum and dad about him practically non-stop since our family conversation last weekend."

"Man...is it that obvious?" Alfred chuckled in embarrassment.

"Yup, you even got super excited when dad had called the home to check up on Arthur and knowing that he's fully recovered," Matthew elaborated with a smile. It was then he saw a contemplative look behind the sunny face of his twin, "But surely there's something else plaguing you, eh?"

"My bad...it's just...I can't help thinking why his older brothers didn't treat Artie right...I mean, siblings are supposed to be there for one another...I don't want to become like them and hurt him all over again," Alfred sighed and sat down on his bed, propping his chin on his linked hands, "What if...Artie doesn't like me?"

"That's where you're wrong, Alfred. From the way Arthur lightly smiled at you, I know for one that you will NEVER do anything bad to Arthur," Matthew sat next to his younger twin and lightly patted his head, "Your heart's always in the right place and you always go a step further to your friends and loved ones...we've always be there for each other through thick and thin. I couldn't ask for a better little brother than you, Alfie..."

"Mattie, you know that you're just stoking my ego, right?" Alfred lightly joked even though his bespectacled sky blue eyes shone with utmost gratitude to his older twin brother.

"If it means to bring a smile on your moping face, little brother, it's worth it," the two boys perked their heads upon hearing the creaks of wood being stepped on. Mr. Jones poked his head through the door, "Hey, dad."

"Your mother was wondering where the both of you were. She said that your big breakfasts won't stay hot for long," Mr. Jones reminded them.

"Then what are we doing up here? Come on, Mattie. It's time for chow!"

After making down the stairs, Alfred cheerfully greeted their mother before tucking in greedily in his breakfast. All the while, the excitement of finally meeting Arthur filled the teenager's mind.

* * *

"Hey Arthur?"

The said boy glanced up from eating his raisin toast to look at Lukas who was sitting beside him. Mr. Fluffles and his stuffed troll were squashed in between the two boys. The Norwegian boy gave a small smile on his normally stoic face.

"What is it, Lukas?" Arthur asked, wiping the crumbs from his mouth.

"Just want to say I'm happy for you...about your new family. I mean it sounds nice that you're going out with them for the day..." Lukas said softly before holding up his stuffed troll to 'shake' hands with Mr. Fluffles, "Mr. Fluffles, you better tell me how your day went and make sure you take good care of Arthur, okay?"

Arthur smiled back shyly at the friendly gesture. He dusted the crumbs off his hands before holding the stuffed bunny to 'shake' back the toy troll's hand, "Don't worry, Mr. Troll, I'll make sure that he's happy. And I'm really happy for you too, Lukas. I heard that a family is coming to see you. Did Mother Serenity tell you anything about them?"

Lukas shrugged as he continued to nibble on his toast, "Only that they originally came from Denmark...oh yeah, it looks like I'll be getting a big brother too...I won't know until I see them later this afternoon..."

"Ah...there you are, my children."

The two boys looked up to find Mother Serenity approaching their table. She knelt down to their label and patted both their heads, "You two certainly took your time with your breakfast."

"Sorry, Mother Serenity. My trolly and Mr. Fluffles were talking and we lost track of time..." Lukas answered.

"Yes, I can see that, Lukas. It looked like they were having a good time together. It's simply nice to see two friends getting along splendidly," Mother Serenity then turned to Arthur, "Your visitors will be arriving soon, Arthur. Shall we see about you getting cleaned and dressed up before meeting them?"

Arthur looked down and saw that he was covered in toasted bread crumbs and his hands were slightly dirty from apple juice and spilt chocolate milk. He looked a bit distressed upon seeing the stains on where he touched Mr. Fluffles.

"Don't worry, Arthur, we'll clean Mr. Fluffles too. The sooner we go, the sooner the both of you will be clean," then Mother Serenity turned to Lukas, "You can go outside to play as soon as you're finished, dear. We'll let you know when you are needed for the family meeting."

"Okay, Mother Serenity..."

After waving goodbye to Lukas, Arthur watched Mother Serenity carefully pick up Mr. Fluffles before following her to the bathroom. His heart beat erratically in his little chest...how would this day turn out?

* * *

"Right on time," Mr. Jones remarked as he and the rest of the family strolled to the front door. Upon knocking, the door opened to reveal Sister Diane. She smiled at them, recognizing them from the previous meeting, "Hello, Sister Diane."

"Ah, Mr. Jones. Mother Serenity has asked me to escort you to her office. She'll be down shortly with Arthur as she's helping him get ready for today."

"Of course, Sister Diane. We'll be happy to wait," Mrs. Jones replied.

Sister Diane accompanied the Jones family into the office where she served coffee to the adults and iced water for the teenage boys. Before long, they heard footfalls and hushed voices coming their way. The door opened and Mother Serenity entered the room with Arthur in tow.

"Ah thank you for looking after our guests, Sister Diane. I'll take over from here," Mother Serenity then turned to Arthur who was hiding behind her legs, "Arthur, dear? You can come out now, they've been waiting to meet you again."

Arthur peeked out, clutching Mr. Fluffles close to his chest in attempt to quell the nervous aches inside him. This was it...this would be the family he would be going home with very soon. He had to make a good impression...especially to his new big brothers. He tried to smile at them but his nervousness made him look grim instead...

"H-Hello...it's n-nice to see you a-again..." the little boy inwardly cringed at how stiff he sounded. Why couldn't he smile when he tried to? This time he had no excuse for his stuttering since he got better...

"Hello, Arthur. It's good to see you again too," Mr. Jones made the first move and knelt before him while gently smiling at him. Then he turned to the stuffed bunny and shook its hand too, "And you too, Mr. Fluffles. How are you feeling today?"

Arthur felt his nervousness ebb upon the kind gesture and found himself relaxing, his voice not as tight as before, "Thank you, M-Mr. Jones...and...I feel fine..."

"And it shows too, Arthur. You look more spritely today. I'm glad to hear that you recovered during the week."

"Arthur, dear. You've met Alfred and Matthew before..." Mrs. Jones ushered the teenagers forward as Mr. Jones stepped back and let their sons fully interact with their new brother.

"Hey there, buddy..." Alfred grinned and ruffled the little boy's hair. Arthur squirmed and frowned at him, "Why the big frown? Aren't you happy to see us?"

"Please get your hand out of my hair. You're messing it up..." Arthur gripped onto the big hand and pushed it away.

"Awww, but you look so cute when your hair's messy like that," Alfred quipped, watching the child's face swell with irritation.

"I'm not c-cute!"

Matthew chuckled at the sight. It seemed that Alfred liked to tease the little boy just like he did to him too. But he decided to intervene before his younger twin went too far, "Don't mind Alfred if he does that. It's his way of saying hello."

"It doesn't mean that I have to like it..." Arthur answered back before turning to Matthew.

"Ha ha ha ha! You may be a bit of a grump but I like your spirit, Artie," Alfred laughed boisterously,

"Not Artie! Arthur!" the little boy exclaimed.

After Arthur eventually calmed down from the mild teasing, he took in Alfred's bright grin and Matthew's small gentle smile. He felt himself blush at the kind stares directed at him...his real brothers never looked at him that way before. It felt strange...but in a good way.

"It will be some time before the adoption application will be fully finalized. Arthur, why don't you bring your new big brothers and show them your room to pass the time? Perhaps they'll help you pack for the day out too," Mother Serenity suggested.

Arthur stuttered before nodding his head uncertainly, "Okay...but...I don't really have much...my room might be pretty boring to you..."

"We don't mind, Arthur. I'm sure Mattie and I will like what we see and we can do whatever you like until mum and dad are ready," Alfred said as he patted the boy's shoulder reassuringly, "It's your call, little buddy."

Arthur felt himself reeling from the sincere words coming from Alfred. And yet, he felt his little heart warm at the tender grin gracing the bespectacled boy's happy face. He turned to Matthew who also mirrored the same expression of understanding and kindness. Feeling better, he reached out to grip Alfred's pinky finger before pulling him forward as a gesture to follow him. Alfred and Matthew happily trailed along unknowing of the soft smiles coming from the adults...

* * *

The first thing Alfred noticed about Arthur's room was that it was impeccably neat unlike the other rooms he and his twin passed by. Even though the room was small and not as decorated as their own bedrooms, the unusually large bookshelf filled with colorful books and the large window giving the beautiful scenery of the outside gardens still gave it a warm and homey charm. While Matthew started chatting lightly with Arthur, Alfred took a closer look at some of the books stacked in the shelf. He saw that they were mainly illustrated storybooks and some volumes written by Enid Blyton. They appeared to be well read as evidenced by the worn edges and slightly torn pages.

'Wow...Artie must be quite well read for his age...I haven't read Enid Blyton in ages...' Alfred thought, reflecting on his current library of comic books, graphic novels and Japanese manga. But he frowned slightly that Arthur didn't have any other toys or action figures to play with other than his stuffed bunny, 'Poor kid...no other toys to play with. How does he get by?'

Then he saw one of the books had Arthur's name on it and pulled it out to reveal a sketchbook. Arthur, upon seeing Alfred browsing his bookshelf, pulled Matthew with him until they were seated on the plush carpet nearby.

"I make drawings of my magical friends in there, Alfred...it helps me pass the time," Arthur explained as he took the book from Alfred and opened the pages to reveal many colorful crayon drawings he had made. They appeared to resemble familiar looking mythical creatures. There were also what appeared to be scrawled handwriting as well, "I also write stories about them too."

"Wow...they're lovely, Arthur," Matthew said with praise, making Arthur blush at the compliment and whisper a thank you to him, "I bet you took great care to make sure they look just right."

"I did. Thank you, Matthew...it's because...I like drawing and reading a lot...and...well..Brownie, Unicorn and my magical fairy friends enjoy it most when I tell them stories and draw them too..."

'Ah...so Artie has imaginary friends as well...' Alfred deduced but decided not to say anything that could crush his new little brother's spirit upon seeing how bright his eyes were when he was talking happily about them. Instead he smiled and nodded in agreement, "That's really nice, Artie...do they play with you a lot?"

"Arthur...not Artie, Alfred. Yes, they come and play with me when I'm very lonely and I usually read to them to calm them down. Sometimes they can get a bit rough, you know. Can you see them? Unicorn is sitting with Matthew, Brownie is choosing a book to read by himself and the fairies are playing with your hair now, Alfred. They're saying how pretty and soft your hair is."

Alfred laughed a bit nervously, unsure how to react.

Upon seeing his twin's uneasiness, Matthew pretended to stroke something beside him and called out to the little boy, "Alfred's a bit too speechless from the excitement, Arthur. I have an idea: why don't you show us some of your favorite books? I'm happy to read them to you if you like and I'm sure your friends would like to hear them too."

Delighted at Matthew's suggestion, Arthur immediately chose a small volume of fairytales and two other books for the gentle teenager to read. Alfred watched Arthur plop himself onto Matthew's lap and cuddled Mr. Fluffles closer to him. As the younger teenager sat down on Arthur's bed, he continued observing Matthew and Arthur with a soft smile. It was no secret that Matthew was a great storyteller with his uncanny ability to act out different voices and make the stories come to life with his imagination. After all, he was the one who often read to Alfred when they were little boys themselves. He had a feeling that Matthew would be great for Arthur whenever it came to pretend games and storytelling. And in a way, it made Alfred feel a bit insecure...if Matthew was able to bond with their new little brother over stories and pretend games which weren't his strong points, how would he be able to keep to his promise to be a good brother and hero to Arthur?

He decided to not delve too much into these unwanted thoughts and looked out of the window to find a vast expanse of green trees and blossoming flowers in his vision. The beautiful scenery did make his heart feel lighter. Then he glanced at the tiny album sitting innocently on the bedside table which said 'My family'. He dared to slide the cover slightly, peeking inside to find several faded photographs and a newspaper clipping...but he didn't have any time to fully see the faces when he felt a foreign weight on his lap.

"Alfred?" Alfred looked down to find Arthur sitting on his lap, looking up at him with curious green eyes. The teenager looked down and smiled at the little boy while patting his hair. Matthew was busy putting away his storybooks.

"Yeah, Artie?"

"Arthur..." the little boy corrected sternly before softening, "I just want to say I'm sorry..."

"Huh? Why are you apologizing, buddy?" Alfred was genuinely confused.

Arthur looked away shyly, "I had such a great time with Matthew reading to me, talking about my drawings and stories and playing with my friends...I was ignoring you even when you've been kind to me and Mr. Fluffles so...I'm sorry..."

Alfred felt his heart warm at the cute sight of Arthur looking so scared and insecure. He tilted the little boy's chin up, "Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about. I wouldn't blame you if you got caught up with Mattie's storytelling. He's great at it, isn't he?"

Arthur nodded with a small smile before he moved to get comfortable on his lap, leaning his head against his chest, "You feel different from Matthew..."

"Hmmm?" Alfred hummed curiously at the little boy's statement, "How so?"

"I mean...Matthew makes me feel calm, happy and peaceful when I'm near him...but with you," Arthur tried to explain as he looked up to Alfred, "I feel safe and protected...it's like you're really my hero who can save me from danger like you said you'd be...and you kept your promise like you said you would...is it okay if I can cuddle up with you like this sometimes...please?"

"Awwww, Artie..." Alfred couldn't help but flush with pride and happiness upon hearing the shy words coming from Arthur's little mouth. He wrapped an arm around the small body and leaned his chin on the golden head, "You don't even need to ask or say please to get cuddles from me..."

At this, the small smile on Arthur's face blossomed and it thrilled Alfred that he made it happen. Just then, he remembered that Arthur still needed to pack his backpack for their outing.

"Hey, why don't we start packing your backpack, Artie? Mum and dad should be ready soon."

* * *

By the time the clock tower struck 10 times, the three boys' attention was alerted upon some loud knocks on the partially open door. They found Mother Serenity and their parents waiting outside. The teenagers had already helped Arthur pack Mr. Fluffles, his sketchbook, his small box of broken crayons and a favourite storybook in his worn deep blue backpack.

"Your parents have finished the paperwork, boys. Are you all set to go?" Mother Serenity noted the sparkle in Arthur's eyes as he nodded in affirmation and settled the backpack onto his shoulders with help from the teenagers. The little boy ran up to her and hugged her tightly, "Have a wonderful day, my dear."

"I will, Mother Serenity," Arthur promised as he pulled back. He looked to find Mr. Jones holding a hand out to him. Imagine the little boy's surprise when he was suddenly hefted up in his strong arms. He held onto the man's neck to support himself. He looked to find Mrs. Jones smiling at him as she brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes.

"Isn't it a great view from Dad carrying you, Artie?" Alfred grinned as he neared him, "Dad used to carry us a lot when we were kids ourselves."

"We'll make sure that Arthur will return to the home before five o'clock," Mr. Jones affirmed as he shook Mother Serenity's hand while easily supporting Arthur against his hip, "Thank you for giving us the permission to take Arthur out for the day."

"You're welcome, Thomas. But it is I who should thank you and your family for giving Arthur a second chance for the happy childhood he deserves," Mother Serenity was smiling even though her eyes looked a bit misty. She guided the family to the front door, "I'll see you all later."

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Yay! I just love excursions back in my time! Especially school excursions: it means less homework and more time to explore the outside world beyond the school walls! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next two chapters are going to describe Arthur's day out and his bonding with his new family :) Squee! I hope you will all like it when it comes out :) See you next time, kudos to you my dears!


	7. A Journey to Pasture Heaven

**Author's notes:** This is what I call the first part of the family excursion: the journeying part...ahhh...reminds me of the times, my parents, my brother and I would take road trips together and just hang out, especially during Chinese New Year :) Anyhow, please read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie. And don't forget a lovely farm called Pasture Heaven.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 7: A Journey to Pasture Heaven

Arthur had to admit that he was excited to see what his new family had in store for him. Excursions outside the children's home were infrequent and he was enjoying how the cool fresh air was making his face pleasantly chilled. He took in Mr. Jones' warm chuckles, Mrs. Jones' sweet smiles, Matthew's careful pats on his head and Alfred's friendly winks when he turned to their directions. It made him feel strange again...he had never been the center of loving attention before.

Before long, Arthur was passed to Alfred so that they could sit together in the backseat of the silver SUV. The younger teenager settled the little boy in the middle seat and fastened his seatbelt before he and his twin flanked the sides and did the same. Arthur saw that he was barely able to see over the teenagers to get a decent view outside the car windows.

"Mum and Dad will get you a proper car seat for you later, little bro. But this will do for now," Alfred said as he made himself more comfortable before settling Arthur's backpack with his own, "You can even sit on our laps for a better view if you want."

"Can I have Mr. Fluffles please?" Arthur requested, already missing his best friend.

"Of course, little buddy. I'll get him for you."

"Where exactly are we going?" Arthur asked, his curiosity getting the best of his mind as he gratefully accepted Mr. Fluffles from Alfred.

"We're going to a special place which is out of the city, dear," Mrs. Jones leaned back to answer her future son's question, "It will be a bit of a long journey. But I'm glad to see that you've been so sensible to pack your favourite things to pass the time."

"Don't worry, we packed some snacks just in case you boys get peckish and we'll arrive just in time for lunch," Mr. Jones said as he started up the car. Then he turned and smiled warmly at the little boy, "Don't be shy and ask your mum, brothers and I if you want some, Arthur. We've got plenty to share."

"Huh?" Arthur looked confused...he had assumed that the snacks were their own...but offering to share?

Mr. Jones' expression softened upon Arthur's confused look and he reached behind to gently comb through his hair, "We're all family, Arthur. We take care of each other and your well being is important to us. Today, we want to show you how much you mean to us. I know it's a lot to take in but we can do it together at your pace..."

"Baby steps?" Arthur said softly.

"Yes, son...baby steps."

Arthur squirmed in his seat and nodded shyly, trying not to flinch at the soft combing, "Okay...Mr. Jon-...I mean...Dad...dy..."

Mr. Jones gave one last ruffle to his hair and his warm smile tinged with pride at Arthur's attempt to call him Daddy. He turned his attention back to the car and began driving away from the church.

"You're going to love it, Artie," Arthur frowned at the ridiculous nickname but he looked up to Alfred nonetheless. His bespectacled sky blue eyes were practically sparkling with excitement, "Mattie and I used to go there all the time when we were little like you. It's like the best place ever before we found out about Disneyland and Disney World. But even so, it still brings great memories to us, doesn't it, Mattie?"

Arthur looked to Matthew who nodded to affirm his twin's statements. His bespectacled sapphire eyes looked deep and his smile were wistful, "Indeed...how long has it been since we were last there?"

"Can...can you tell me more about this place we're going to?" Arthur asked.

"No can do, Artie. Otherwise it will ruin the surprise," Alfred shook his head, prompting a suspicious look from the little boy, "But it will be worth it when we arrive."

Arthur's suspicious look melted away to an uncertain one...but Alfred always kept his promises...so he must be right. Now he had no time to dwell on the thoughts as the urge to cuddle up with Alfred became too strong to ignore and he couldn't wait for the right time for Matthew to read his storybook.

* * *

"How are you all going, darlings?" Mrs. Jones asked and looked behind after feeding her husband an orange segment as he drove. She found Matthew hurriedly place a finger against his lips, momentarily stopping his task of cleaning up some rubbish and placing away Arthur and Alfred's things in their backpacks.

"Arthur's napping now, mum. And so is Alfred," Matthew said in a hushed voice, pointing to Alfred and Arthur. Mrs. Jones made a silent awed whisper.

The little boy was currently curled up on Alfred's lap, nuzzled against the teenager's lap like a giant kitten while clutching Mr. Fluffles close to his chest. Alfred while still asleep had his arms secured around Arthur, his cheek cushioned on the messy golden blonde locks and his glasses askew on his nose. Matthew reached over to take away the glasses and placed Alfred's jacket over Arthur.

"Well, it's no wonder. From all the chatter from behind, Arthur must have been quite well entertained by you two throughout most of the journey," Mr. Jones remarked.

"How much longer do we have to go, Dad?" Matthew asked as he took out one of his novels from his backpack, fingering the worn maple leaf patterned bookmark.

"We'll arrive in about half an hour, son," Mr. Jones said reassuringly.

Satisfied with the answer, Matthew settled back against the car seat in a comfortable slump. Upon seeing his brothers sleeping, he was no longer interested in reading his novel as intended. Instead he leaned back and reflected what he and Alfred did to entertain their new little brother since they left the children's home.

* * *

Mr. Jones had to drive through the city in order to get to the highway which would take them to their destination. The sights were familiar to the teenagers but to Arthur, it was as if a different world opened to him. The little boy swapped sitting between Alfred and Matthew's laps in order to take in the views of the tall buildings, shiny shopping malls and green parks coming their way. Alfred had noted how Arthur was looking longingly at Central Park Zoo and the local aquarium when they zoomed by and the twins made it a mental note to take him there one day. Matthew bit back a chuckle when he recalled Alfred's horrified reaction when Arthur made a snide comment as they passed a McDonalds outlet: "How can you stand those yucky greasy burgers? You could get a heart attack from eating there" were his exact words with disdain in his green eyes.

But as soon as they got to the highway and onto the roads into the countryside, the boys wasted no time to delve into their favourite activities. Matthew relaxed by listening to his favourite music on his IPhone. Alfred busied himself in playing with his 3DS console. With some help from the twins, they made a makeshift support for Arthur to steady his sketchbook so that he could add more drawings to his collection. Alfred got curious about Arthur's new drawings that he stopped playing his games and watched Arthur delve into his crayon creations. He noted the sorry state of the crayons...perhaps Arthur would like some new ones to make his drawings more wonderful. When Arthur finally sensed Alfred's stare, he gave an irritated frown and immediately shut his book, saying that he shouldn't peek while he's drawing because it's a secret. To make it up to him, Alfred whipped out his iPhone to show him some video clips he thought Arthur would enjoy. To add to Alfred's dismay, the little boy found the superhero cartoon clips boring...however there was a silver lining to the situation: Arthur immediately got interested in watching the 80s version of Care Bears show. And this was shown when Arthur constantly had his eye on Grumpy Bear. Alfred thought it was the cutest thing he had ever seen when Arthur's face lit up like a beacon as he talked about how and why he loved Grumpy Bear so much. Before long, Arthur began to feel hungry and stopped talking, looking uncomfortable as his tummy rumbled. Alfred had chuckled and rummaged through his bag to find some snacks he thought Arthur would like. Much to his amusement, Arthur avoided the potato crisps and cheesy Cheetos like the plague, instead opting for fresh black cherries, a small cheese sandwich and several sips of Hershey's chocolate milk.

After the satisfying snack, Arthur saw that the scenery changed once again to one of perfect picturesque countryside filled with sweeping meadows, golden fields and clear blue skies. The little boy immediately clambered onto Alfred's lap since his side had a better view and cooed upon seeing herds of sheep and cows grazing lazily. Alfred took the opportunity to engage Arthur in a cow-and-sheep spotting game while listening to his fond hopes for Mr. Fluffles to make friends with the other bunnies. This went on until the two slowly fell asleep due to the combination of a slight food coma in the making and exhaustion from much talking...

* * *

Just then a familiar sign passed Matthew's line of vision, causing him to break away from the fond reminiscing. His smile brightened upon seeing the cottage sitting pristinely on a shallow knoll and the big red barn looking proud in the distance, flanked by the many trees, flowers and fields.

"Wow...it's really still here even after these long years?" Matthew gasped incredulously, "It's like nothing has changed at all..."

"Mrs. Silken will be so happy to see you boys. She's been looking forward to our visit especially since knowing that Arthur's going to be part of the family," Mr. Jones commented as he started driving up the road, "You'd better wake your brothers up, Matthew. We'll be having lunch shortly."

Matthew did as he was told and shook his twin up, knowing that once Alfred was awake he would do his job to wake Arthur up too. Alfred groggily accepted his glasses before gently shaking Arthur awake. The little boy was lightly groused from his nap but calmed down when the younger teenager patted him on the back as he cuddled him close.

"Where are we?" Arthur asked as he was hefted in Alfred's arms as they clambered from the car. He breathed in amazement upon seeing the picturesque countryside scenery and his mouth salivated upon smelling sweet air of baked treats. He turned to Alfred who had an unusually soft look on his face, "It's so beautiful and something smells good, Alfred."

"Welcome to Pasture Heaven, Artie," Alfred said as he turned to Matthew who joined his side. He carefully placed Arthur onto the ground, "Hasn't changed all this time, hasn't it, Mattie?"

"Yeah...it's as if time just stilled here..." Matthew smiled and patted Arthur's hair carefully as the little boy cuddled in between them, "You're going to have a great time here, Arthur."

"And I plan to since you all haven't visited me for three whole years!" a jolly woman's voice pleasantly interrupted them. There stood Mrs. Silken just as Alfred and Matthew remembered her to be with her rosy cheeks, her great smile and her plump figure. The old woman turned to the adults, hugging them in her hefty arms. Mr. Jones laughed breathlessly while Mrs. Jones was smiling widely, "Thomas! Dear Emily! I was so happy when you both called and said you're all coming to see little old me!"

"Oh Auntie Rosie! It's so wonderful to see you so spritely still!" Mrs. Jones laughed as she hugged Mrs. Silken back, "You remember the boys?"

"Of course I do! And my goodness, they're both so tall and handsome!" Mrs. Silken gushed as she approached the teenagers and hugged them. Alfred and Matthew bent down slightly so that they could hug back, "Where did all those years go? You both shot up like string beans on a Summer's day!"

"Lots of TLC and food, Auntie Rosie," Matthew replied with a smile, lightly elbowing his twin, "And lots more for my gluttonous twin."

Alfred laughed sheepishly before turning his attention to Arthur who was now hiding behind his legs after some shuffling about, "Ah, this is Arthur...our new little brother."

"Where is the little cherub? Awwww...aren't you as cute as a little lamb," Mrs. Silken cooed in a gentle tone. Her eyes softened upon seeing the shy look on the little boy's face as he shuffled closer to Alfred's jean clad legs, "Hello, Arthur darling. Your new mummy and daddy told me lots about you over the phone. It's nice to meet you."

Arthur felt his face heat up upon the compliment. But he shoved the shyness threatening to overwhelm him and looked up at Mrs. Silken. She reminded him an elderly wise fairy he read in his storybooks with her silvery grey eyes to match her silvery lined hair and her kind smile on her rosy face colored like ripe apples. She was attired in baggy overalls and a shawl which was rather an odd yet suitable combination to him and she smelled sweet like ripe berries.

"H-Hello, Mrs. Silken..." Arthur muttered shyly, clutching Mr. Fluffles close to him.

"Awww, what an adorable accent you have, all so proper and the like...please call me Auntie Rosie. There's no need to be all formal with me, dear," Mrs. Silken said kindly.

"A-Auntie Rosie?" Arthur tested the name out...and he found it quite like it because it quite matched her kind rosy face.

"That's the way, Arthur dear," she smiled and stroked his cheek. She noted the slight twitch and the slight uneasiness in his eyes. She recalled the previous conversations she had with Mr. and Nrs. Jones about his character, "You'll soon get used to seeing me every now and then. I hope that we can become good friends just like I do with your brothers."

"F-Friends?"

"You'll love her, Artie. Auntie Rosie is like an awesome aunt and grandma combined," Alfred said reassuringly as he brushed Arthur's hair gently before he turned to her with a slight apologetic smile, "He's still getting used to being with our family and he's still quite shy."

"I understand, dear," Mrs. Silken paused when she heard some slight rumbles and found Arthur and the teenagers looking embarrassed. She chuckled, "And it appears I was right to prepare a nice hearty picnic lunch around this time. And my specialty baked delights are not to missed!"

Arthur couldn't help but smile at her chuckles and took her offered hand when she asked him, Alfred and Matthew whether they would help her set up the picnic. But what made the smile bigger on Arthur's face was meeting Mrs. Silken's 'son', Boris, a 10 year old handsome golden retriever. The large dog and the little boy were inseparable upon their first meeting...

* * *

As time went on, Arthur found himself relaxing and actually having a wonderful time with his new family and Mrs. Silken as they tucked into a scrumptious picnic lunch, which took place on a shallow hill overlooking the fruit orchards and the meadow where the horses and sheep were grazing. The breezes were cool and soothing and the sunshine was wondrous and balmy. They feasted on freshly baked bread used to make ham and cheese sandwiches, a large and rich spinach quiche, a generous bowl of Caesar salad and baked potatoes with butter. Boris laid near Arthur who fed scraps of his ham to him.

Slowly but surely, Arthur found himself liking the old lady as she was a very animated storyteller just like Matthew. He listened eagerly to her regaling stories of her childhood days working on the farm with her family. It turned out that her family were full of passionate farmers and bakers and the current farm was the result of generations of hard work by her ancestors who toiled the soil and built everything from scratch. It was an adorable sight for Alfred and Matthew to see Arthur cuddling up to her and looking so enthralled with an interested sparkle in his green eyes as she talked to him. Every now and then, he would also snuggle against Boris, in which the large pale golden dog would lick his cheek in return. Mrs. Silken had explained that Boris was her latest addition to her family and she had made it a ritual to adopt elderly dogs from the animal shelter she sometimes went to volunteer at. This was her way to repay these wonderful animals who have worked hard and long in their youth by giving them the last golden years of their lifespans. Every now and then, Arthur would turn to his sketchbook and wrote and drew with his broken crayons.

Arthur had to say that her baked treats were to die for just as Alfred and Matthew promised to be. He had already sampled two cherry tarts and a slice of pear pie yet he still wanted more even after a heavy lunch, much to Mrs. Silken's delight.

"My goodness! You have a voracious sweet tooth just like your brothers. I'll be sure to give you more so that you can bring them back for snacks...and perhaps something extra too," Mrs. Silken commented as she piled up the dishes and cutlery into the large woven basket. She then turned to Alfred and Matthew, "You boys are welcome to roam in my humble abode and engage with the animals while your parents and I are due for a very long chat. But make sure you don't go beyond the orchards and the picket fences by the grazing grounds."

"We'll pay heed, Auntie Rosie," Matthew promised.

Then Mrs. Silken winked at them with a smile on her face, "And make sure that you take Arthur to the barn as the last destination. I'm sure he will enjoy being there immensely."

"Will do, Auntie Rosie!" Alfred chirped and stood up, holding out a hand to Arthur with a bright grin, "Come on, Artie. There's lots of things Mattie and I want to show you around the farm."

"Yeah, it'll be fun. The three of us going on an adventure together in Pasture Heaven," Matthew added jubilantly. Then Matthew observed Arthur looking a bit stunned as he looked between Alfred's offered hand and their expectant faces, "Arthur?"

"You said three of us...you want me to come...with you?" Arthur asked in a surprised tone at the invitation.

"Of course we want you to come, silly! You're going to be in our family as our new little bro! Now are you coming or not?" Alfred asked, his hand still held out to the little boy.

"As if I have a choice..." was the grouchy response from the little boy even though his green eyes were sparkling as he accepted the large hand to pull him up. Boris barked happily and sprinted after the boys.

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Alrighty then! Welcome to Pasture Heaven, what is in store for these brothers? All I can say is lots and lots of more brotherly bonding that is sure to make you all squeal at the fluffiness and cuteness. It'll be warm and ready soon like a freshly baked apple pie :) See you all in the next chapter, my dears!


	8. A Wonderful Time to Bond

**Author's notes:** Here is the second part of the Jones family excursion...and whew...this has got to be the longest chapter I've written for the story...but it was worth it. What are the boys doing during the day? Well, read and find out, my dears :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie. And don't forget a lovely farm called Pasture Heaven.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 8: A Wonderful Time to Bond

Alfred and Matthew wasted no time to show Arthur the wonders of Pasture Heaven.

Their first destination were the fruit orchards which weren't far from where they had their lunch. Arthur had never seen so many fruit trees growing in a large single area and the smells he breathed in were sweet and fresh like a bouquet of flowers, due to the ripeness of the fruits. Arthur was currently riding the large golden retriever on his back since he was small and light enough to do so.

"Isn't it great, Artie? Mattie and I used to climb these trees when we were kids," Artie remarked as he easily leapt climbed up the sturdy trunk of an apple tree, "But other times, Mattie is too much of a scaredy cat to go any higher."

"Shut up, Al. You know if I went any higher, I get dizzy. I think I'll skip on climbing for today," Matthew glowered, earning a mischievous gesture from Alfred in return, "In any case, it's always awesome when we help Auntie Rosie harvest the fruits to sell and to bake. She always let us have a sample of her treats at teatime without fail during our visits here."

"Really? It sounds nice..." Arthur slipped down from Boris' back and went up to the tree Alfred previously climbed up, "I wonder what it's like up there?"

"Why don't you come up here with me and see yourself, Artie? Come on, Mattie will help you up and I'll pull you the rest of the way!" Alfred saw Arthur looking quite apprehensive as he locked eyes with him. The teenager softened his gaze and smiled at him, "Trust me, little bro. I promise I won't let you fall."

"I'll carry you up, Arthur," Matthew bent down to scoop the little boy under his arms and hefted him up to his twin who caught him easily, "Be careful with him, Alfred!"

"I know, I know."

Arthur clung onto Alfred tightly while struggling to keep Mr. Fluffles close to him as he was settled on the older boy's lap. The scent of ripe apples and fresh dew grew stronger and the patches of sunlight filtering through the thick green leaves reminded him on bursts of pixie dust. Alfred grinned upon seeing the awe on Arthur's face and pulled away some stray branches, revealing the huge country landscape.

"Wow!" Arthur squealed, his eyes going impossibly wider. Alfred steadied his excited little brother as he slightly lunged forward to get a better view, "So green!"

"Woah! Steady there, Artie," Alfred adjusted the little boy's weight on his legs before nodding in agreement, "But you're right, it's a killer view up here. Mattie's missing out on the best part of our escapade."

"Hey, I can still hear you from down here!" Matthew shouted irritably with Boris barking seemingly in agreement.

"I see that Auntie Rosie had been busy with apple-picking," Alfred commented, noting the plucked stalks of the branches nearest to them. His bespectacled eyes twinkled with delight to see that some apples remained. He reached out to pluck a small red apple and gave it to Arthur, "Here, Artie, try one. It's been nurtured with Auntie Rosie's farm smarts. I'm going to throw down another for Mattie."

Arthur enjoyed the apple immensely. He just had to record the beautiful scenery Alfred presented him and the memory of the sweet apple into his sketchbook! Seeing his new older brothers momentarily distracted by their larger apples, Arthur retrieved his sketchbook from his bag and began drawing what he could see. He was so concentrated in his work that he didn't notice Alfred, having finished his apple, was looking on fondly. The older boy watched Arthur colouring furiously in green, yellow and red scribbles, patches and shapes. Knowing that Arthur wouldn't like him spying over over his shoulder, Alfred pretended to be occupied with his apple core and turned to attention when Arthur re-packed his backpack and requested to be let down. Matthew caught him deftly and they watched Alfred drop down onto the ground.

"What's next?" Arthur asked curiously as his new brothers tossed the apple cores into the ever growing compost pile.

Boris' panting caught the boys' attention. The large golden dog was pacing around in circles, looking slightly lethargic.

"Hmm...Boris looks a bit thirsty and tired...hey, why don't we head back to Auntie Rosie's cottage for a brief rest so that Boris can cool down from the heat?" Matthew suggested as he scratched behind Boris' left ear.

"Then let's stop by her kitchen to see what tasty treats she has," Alfred added before grinning at Arthur, "You're gonna love being there, Artie."

* * *

It didn't take long for the three boys and the golden retriever to return to the cottage. While Matthew quickly ushered Boris to the back garden to refill his water dish and to help him cool down, Alfred took the opportunity to show Arthur around the quaint and cosy cottage. Alfred patiently followed the awed boy around as he explored the nooks and crannies of each room and carried him occasionally so that he could look at the trinkets and charms collected on the shelves and mantelpiece over the fireplace. He was particularly fixated on the porcelain figurines shaped as fairies and brownies that it made him whip out his sketchbook and started drawing what he could capture in his line of vision.

After Matthew finally returned, the two teenagers took Arthur to Mrs. Silken's kitchen where she made her special baked treats. In Arthur's opinion, it was the most beautiful room the little boy had ever seen and was something out of a fairy tale. The room was large and spacious, equipping two shiny black ovens with clear screens on the doors, a white stove that currently have bubbling saucepans, a wide kitchen counter made out of oak and a quaint dining table with matching 4 chairs which appeared to be handcrafted. The walls were covered with tiles that had vintage pictures of pastries, fruits and vegetables and the floor was clean and polished to perfection. The final touch that completed the kitchen was the view from the kitchen sink large windows. They were overlooking the vast expanse of the back garden where flowers, herbs and small berries seemed to bloom all year round. The picture was made better by Boris who was currently napping peacefully outside his kennel, his water dish half full. Alfred lifted Arthur into his arms so that he could have a better view in the kitchen. Arthur couldn't help breathe a sigh of wonder at what he saw. The kitchen top was laden with baskets of ripe fruits and berries and flour-covered baking supplies. The stove was filled with freshly made cookies and much to Arthur's delight, scones too. The dining table was full of more pies, cakes and tarts left on the baking trays and there were paper boxes and jars nearby for packaging. The saucepans on the stove were filled with various fruit jams simmered to perfection. The viscous liquid and boiled fruit bubbled deliciously, reminding Arthur of potions being made in a cauldron.

"Auntie Rosie seems to be baking all the time..." Arthur commented from his perch as he looked around the kitchen before turning to Matthew, "Why is that, Matthew? She has so much work to do around the farm as it is..."

"Auntie Rosie's baked goods are very popular and are always in demand at the weekend farmer markets, Arthur. So she bakes all these cakes, tarts, pies, cookies, scones and jam to earn money. She also gives some away to her less fortunate neighbors and there are times when she will bake special treats for our birthdays too," Matthew explained with a wistful smile, "I'm pretty sure that she'll make you something extra special once your birthday comes."

"Really? That would be nice...mmmmmmm...it smells really good up here..." Arthur sighed as he sniffed in the yummy smells of baking into his lungs.

"That's why we love being in the kitchen when we were your age, Artie. I'm sure Auntie Rosie won't mind if we could take a small sample of her fine cuisine," Alfred smiled mischievously and used a teaspoon to scoop up the red gloopy mixture from a saucepan and blew on it before eating it. His face seemed to burst into fireworks as his smile brightened, "Man! Her strawberry jam is the best!"

"You are so greedy, Alfred," Matthew complained despite the fact that he took the teaspoon from Alfred and also sampled the jam. His look of disapproval melted to one of bliss, "But I have to say that her jams always taste better than the ones Mum buys from the supermarket. I hope she'll give us some jars to bring home. It'll go perfectly with my pancakes."

"Here, Artie. You should taste it too," Alfred dipped the spoon back into the mixture, blew on it and held it to Arthur, "If you think her baked goods taste great, this is pure heaven."

Arthur obediently opened his mouth and allowed Alfred to pop the spoon in. The sweet taste of boiled strawberries, citrus juice and sugar exploded pleasantly on his tongue before sliding down his throat like a warm molten river. Arthur took the spoon from Alfred to suck the remaining jam as much as he could.

"That good, Artie?" Alfred smiled upon Arthur's shy nod.

"I wish I could have this jam with some of those scones in the oven..." Arthur admitted as he eyed the pastries still baking in the oven.

"I didn't know you like that kind of food, Artie. You really are so British, proper and that," Alfred commented, earning a frown from Arthur in return, "How can you eat those pastries? They taste like couch stuffing!"

"Scones are tasty, Alfred! You just don't know how to appreciate them!" Arthur snapped, irritation visible in his green eyes. The sight caused Alfred to chuckle.

"Okay! Okay! No need to raise your voice, Artie," Alfred smirked and used one hand to ruffle his hair.

"Stupid..." Arthur mumbled darkly even though he snuggled closer to Alfred.

"Hey, why don't we go to the barn now? The sooner we go, the more time we can spend in there," Matthew suggested.

Arthur's face lit up with obvious excitement and he nodded frantically, "Yes, please! Can Boris come too?"

"Let's see whether Boris is up to it first, Arthur. But I'm sure he'll be very well rested by now."

* * *

After placing Arthur down and rinsing the spoon in the sink, the boys went to the back garden. By then, the golden retriever was wide awake and barking happily upon seeing Arthur. Sensing that their canine companion was re-energized, they made their way to the large red barn. The teenagers pushed the doors open big enough for Arthur, Boris and themselves to slip through. Arthur giggled with delight at the large expanse and how the sunshine filtered onto the large bays of hale and sacks of wheat in luminescent gold. The air was crisp and heady and the dried hay crunched under their shoes.

Just then, the sounds of neighing, clucking and mooing caught their attention. There were three horses resting in their stalls: a palomino stallion and a dapple grey mare with her foal, several hens in their nests and a large cow with brown patches lazily munching on hay as she laid down on the ground near the horses. But what made his heart soar was the large decorated hutch that contained real live rabbits...Mr. Fluffles would finally meet some new friends!

The sight of the animals congregating in a single space delighted the child to bits. The urge to hug and cuddle them was just too tempting to ignore! It was no wonder Auntie Rosie suggested to visit the barn as the last destination...this was the best place to be!

"Ah! So cute! So many animals in one place! Ah there are bunnies too! They're my most favourite animal in the world!" Arthur exclaimed in an excited squeal, running up to the cow first, "Wow...so big!"

Alfred chuckled and followed Arthur while Matthew came closely behind, keeping a firm lead on Boris's collar to prevent the dog from making the other animals excited.

Arthur had a wonderful time among the farm animals. Under Alfred and Matthew's watchful eyes, Arthur patted the cow's leathery hide and fed the chickens with some corn kernels. The cow didn't seem to mind Arthur's presence and stayed still as she was cuddled. While the hens allowed Arthur to pat their soft feathers and enjoyed being fed, they weren't not happy when he went too close to their nests to touch their eggs. Alfred had to quickly pull Arthur away before the chickens prepared for an attack to peck him. Arthur was marveled by the three horses in the stalls, cooing at how cute the foal was. While Matthew contented in feeding some carrots to the stallion, Alfred had lifted Arthur up onto the dapple grey mare's back for a brief ride since she had a more gentle temperament than her mate. Arthur hadn't imagined that a horseback ride would be so bumpy but nonetheless he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Finally, Arthur approached the hutch where the rabbits were, his face practically glowing. There were three of them inside and Arthur was left in awe when the smallest white rabbit with floppy ears approached him and sniffed his fingers through the hutch door. Then he turned back to the older boys, "Can we play with the bunnies too? Mr. Fluffles and I promise to be gentle...please? Pretty please?"

"Only when Alfred and I around, Arthur," Matthew answered the little boy. Boris returned to Arthur's and laid down beside him. Alfred carefully opened the hutch and carried the three creatures out one by one, making sure that they stayed around the makeshift barricade the twins quickly composed out of smaller bays of hay earlier, "These are Auntie Rosie's prized show rabbits so we better handle them with care."

"So fluffy and cute..." Arthur cooed, watching the rabbits stand up on their hind legs and wiggled their noses as they sniffed the air, "Do they have names?"

"Hmmm...let me see if I got them right...the one with the patch over its eye is Dottie...the deep grey one is Silver Dew and the little white one is Snowdrop," Matthew recalled.

The teenagers watched Arthur with fond gazes as Arthur gently patted and cuddled each rabbit with love and affection visible in his green eyes. Alfred felt that he had just witnessed a tender side of Arthur he hadn't seen before; it was truly an adorable sight to behold. It made him take out his iPhone and snapped a few pictures of the little boy's smiles as he was swamped by Boris and the rabbits. After some time, it appeared that Arthur was particularly taken by little Snowdrop as it was constantly on the child's lap, pawing and sniffing the toy rabbit with much curiosity and actively curling into Arthur's arms when he cuddled it..

Meanwhile, Arthur hadn't imagined that the rabbits felt this much soft, warm and heavy in his arms. His dream of Mr. Fluffles making friends had finally come true after all, and it was all thanks to Snowdrop. The sweet creature felt so right in his arms just like Mr. Fluffles...if only they could stay like this all the time. Boris seemed to like them too as he allowed Dottie and Silver Dew to snuggle up to his side or climb all over his back. Feeling the ever present need to record these new wonderful memories, Arthur dutifully retrieved his sketchbook, drawing and scribbling as he struggled to keep the rabbits close to him. First he had to draw what he saw and are in the house and especially the kitchen before the sights, smells and tastes were forgotten. And all the animals! He'd bet that Lukas would be interested in them, especially the cute rabbits...and how...Mr. Fluffles was...fine...and...making...friends...

Just as Arthur finally finished the last drawing, the child had a sudden urge to yawn and rub his eyes, relinquishing his hold on his sketchbook, crayons, Snowdrop and Mr. Fluffles...he felt himself lifted into strong arms and his cheek brushed against a soft-covered chest.

"Come on, Artie. I think it's time to go. Mum and dad are probably waiting for us now," Alfred said as he steadied the little boy.

"No...don't wanna...go..." Arthur whined as he was rocked gently to and fro and soft hushes whispered into his ears. He felt the familiar soft plushness of Mr. Fluffles passed into his arms. Arthur sighed and gripped around the solid neck while struggling to keep Mr. Fluffles close to him.

"Shhhh...you're tired, Artie..." Alfred soothingly hushed, continuing his rocking motions, "Rest well, little buddy."

Arthur finally sagged against Alfred, giving into his exhaustion in the form of deep breaths and dreams forming in his mind's eye. The younger teenager smiled with warmth in his heart as he carried his little brother. It was no wonder the poor child was tired from the day's excitement. Alfred watched Matthew carefully place the rabbits back into their hutch and retrieve Arthur's sketchbook and crayons. Boris approached the boys, the worn backpack in his jaws.

"Thanks, Boris," Matthew slung the bag over one arm and stood up, scratching the dog's ears affectionately, "Arthur has worked so hard with his sketchbook for nearly the whole day...I'm sure he'd be devastated to lose it if we didn't it pack it away for him..."

"Poor Artie. He's really out like a light..." Alfred said quietly so not to wake Arthur. He brushed his messy hair and chuckled when Arthur snuggled in closer, his grip around his neck tightening. Matthew smiled with Alfred and threaded his fingers through the messy blonde hair, "Awww, how cute..."

"Indeed, he is...well, let's get going. I'm sure Mum, Dad and Auntie Rosie are wondering where we are. It's getting late and we still have to bring Arthur back to the children's home," Matthew suggested as he repacked Arthur's backpack.

* * *

By the time the boys found their parents, it was indeed time to begin the drive back home. Mrs. Silken had made good on her promise that the little family wouldn't leave without her homemade gifts and even packed an extra gift basket to give to the children's home, insisting that Arthur's friends and caretakers deserved a sweet treat. Much to Matthew's delight, she had even packed several jars of her strawberry jam; now he had more reason to look forward to making his pancakes. After lots of hugs and waving goodbye to Mrs. Silken and Boris who was whining unhappily with his gaze stuck on the slumbering little boy, the Jones family began their journey back to the city.

"I know, darling...you miss Arthur already, don't you?" Mrs. Silken deduced as she patted the dog's head. The dog looked up at his mistress and whined again. Her smile was soft and understanding, "We'll see him again, I promise you that. Now let's head inside for dinner and a cup of tea. I have some lovely bones for you to snack on too."

The mention of warm food perked Boris's spirits and he sprinted into the house, barking happily. Mrs. Silken chuckled at the sudden change and followed the dog inside to make good on her promise for a full dinner.

* * *

The ride home was a quiet one albeit it was comfortable to savour since they were all pleasantly tired from the outing. Arthur was still asleep, hugging Alfred and Mr. Fluffles with all his might like a baby koala. While Alfred continued to cuddle Arthur, Matthew couldn't resist taking a few pictures of them together. Upon reaching the children's home, Mother Serenity and Lukas were at the door to greet them. Arthur's irritation at being woken up was immediately eradicated upon seeing Lukas. While their parents filled in the details of Arthur's fun outing and showed her the delectable gifts for her, the nuns and the other children, Alfred and Matthew were pulled by Arthur to meet Lukas. The twins watched the two younger boys exchange their stories of the day. The adults couldn't help but smile because even though Arthur was excited to see his friend again, he hadn't let go of his new brothers' fingers clasping his own and would send adoring glances up at them every now and then. They knew right there and then that Arthur would adjust well in their family...

"I'm so thrilled to know Arthur had such a wonderful time with you all today. In truth..." Mother Serenity gazed at the said boy whose smile was now wide and bright as the sun, "This is by far...the happiest I had ever seen him...now I know he will be well taken care of by all of you. Thank you for bringing Arthur the childhood he deserves."

"And we have you to thank, Mother Serenity...you helped our wish for another child to add to our family come true...we love Arthur...we want him home with us soon...especially his big brothers," Mrs. Jones reiterated, recalling the soft fond looks on her other sons' faces as they spent time with their new sibling.

"And you all will, Emily. Janet has just given me a call that the paperwork is nearly finalized. Arthur Kirkland will officially be your son by this coming weekend," Mother Serenity promised, making the smiles wider on the couple's faces.

"Most excellent news, Mother Serenity!" Mr. Jones exclaimed exuberantly. Then he checked his wristwatch and his light frown slightly marred his smile, "It's getting late. Best to be on our way. We don't want to needlessly occupy more of your time."

"Boys? We have to leave," Mrs. Jones said with much regret as she approached the group, watching the teenagers sigh with downcast expressions.

"Do we have to?" Alfred whined slightly.

"I'm afraid so, son," Mr. Jones joined his wife's side, "But by this coming weekend, we will bring Arthur home to truly become part of our family."

The added statement added some cheer to the teenagers. They turned to Arthur and smiled at him.

"Hey buddy. Make sure you sleep well tonight, okay?" Alfred gently said as he brushed the little boy's hair across his forehead, "Mattie and I have to go home now. It's late."

Arthur's smile disappeared...he felt a boiling bubble of anxiety rise in his stomach. His new family couldn't possibly leave now?! What if they left and forgot about him?! They had such a wonderful day! Didn't that mean anything?! Didn't they want him anymore?!

"No! I don't want you to go..." Arthur pouted, his fingers tightening their grip and his green eyes turning misty with suspicious tears, "I don't...I don't want..."

"Hey...Arthur. Don't be sad...Mum said-," Matthew paused when he saw that Arthur was in the midst of a crying fit. He brought the little boy for a hug while Alfred rubbed his back. Their hearts ached as Arthur began shivering in the elder twin's embrace and muffled sobs could be heard, "There, there..."

"Don't leave me! Don't forget me!" Arthur wailed, not wanting to let go, "I w-want to go home with y-you!"

"And you will, Artie," Alfred said as he tilted the boy's chin up to wipe away his tears, "We'd never forget what we did today and what you are to us. You're going to be our new little bro. We promise that we'll be back to pick you up next week. Mum and dad said so."

Arthur sniffled but his tears gradually slowed down, "P-Promise?"

"Yeah. Remember what I said, Artie?" Alfred cupped the smaller hand in his with Matthew joining in, "A hero never breaks his word."

Arthur felt his chest lose some of its tightness, feeling calmed by Alfred's reassuring promise. But he had to be absolutely sure...

"Cross your heart and hope to die?"

"Yeah, little bro. Cross my heart and hope to die," Alfred made an invisible across his chest to emphasise his point, "Mum, Dad, Mattie and I will be back for you next Saturday."

Arthur nodded and went to up to Mrs. Jones who pecked the top of his head and Mr. Jones gave him a warm hug. He felt proud of himself that his body was now willing to accept their loving gestures.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Jon- I mean...mummy and daddy..." Arthur muttered shyly, trying to keep his manners in check, "I had a wonderful time with you today..."

"You're very welcome, Arthur..." Mrs. Jones cooed and ushered him back to Mother Serenity who was now carrying a slightly drowsy Lukas, "Have sweet dreams tonight, darling..."

"See you next Saturday, son. We'll be back before you know it," Mr. Jones smiled.

Arthur felt a hint of sadness return upon watching his new family pile into the car and drive away...then he heard the rustle of cloth sweeping behind him.

"They'll be here, Arthur dear. They made a promise. Don't you worry," Mother Serenity said reassuringly. She knew just the way to cheer Arthur up, "It's nearly time for dinner. We made your favourite tonight."

"Fish and chips?" Arthur asked hopefully.

"With extra tartare sauce just for you, dear," Mother Serenity smiled as Arthur's eyes noticeably lit up, "Come on, you and Lukas can help me set the table."

The prospect of his favourite dinner put Arthur's anxieties at rest for the time being...now it was time to tell the other children and his other magical friends in his room what he did during the day and to count down the days until he would be officially home with his daddy, mummy...and his big brothers, Matthew and Alfred...

**To be concluded...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Awww...Arthur really wanted to go home with his new family at that point. The next chapter will officially be the last to finish this precious story, finally giving the closure for Arthur to finally be loved and accepted for who he is. I'm so happy for the support and appreciation laden into this addition by your reviews, follows and favourites. See you all next week for the final chapter! Kudos to you all, my dears!


	9. I Am Home

**Author's notes:** Finally, the last chapter has arrived! How will Arthur feel now that he is finally going home with his new family? I can't believed it's really officially finished...enough of me rambling, please read on!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie. And don't forget a lovely farm called Pasture Heaven.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and takes place before _Good Birthday Company_ and _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation. The passage in italics indicates a letter being written.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Chapter 9: I Am Home

"I think that's all there is..." Arthur looked around his now bare room. Everything had been packed into the small cardboard boxes. He turned to Lukas who was next to him, "Thanks for helping me to pack up."

"You're welcome...although...it's not going to be the same without you, Arthur..." the Norwegian boy looked a bit sad as he cuddled his toy troll to his chest, "Who's going to play with me, Mr. Troll and all my friends? No one knows them and their magic as well as you do..."

"I know you'll keep yourself occupied in some way or another...I'll miss you too and the times we had together...but you're going to be okay. I heard that the family you met before has agreed to adopt you, right? You'll be going home with them soon and I bet your new big brother is going to be just as great just like my two new big brothers," Arthur said as he tried to cheer his friend up.

"I'm still going to miss you, Arthur...are we going to see each other again?" Lukas's voice sounded scared and uncertain and his blue eyes seemed duller than before. Arthur knew just the thing he could give the other boy to make him smile again.

"Here Lukas, I want you to have this," Arthur rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a worn storybook titled 'Fairytales From Around The World'. He held it out to Lukas.

"Our favourite storybook...we always read it together every chance we got..."

"And we always took turns to voice the good guys and the bad guys and to read the happy endings together...so if you take it...it's like I'm here for you as a friend even when I'm not really here with you," Lukas took the book from him and turned the front cover. It was then Lukas saw an address and a phone number written on it. Arthur's eyes twinkled as a relieved smile brightened his friend's stoic face, "Mother Serenity helped me with it. It's the address and phone number of my new home...maybe...you can come...and...visit some time?"

"I'd like that...here, I want to give something in return to remember me by..." Lukas nodded in agreement. He reached to his hair and unclipped his barrette shaped in a Nordic cross. He placed it into Arthur's hand, "Thank you for being a good friend to me and Mr. Troll."

"I'll take good care of it, Lukas. Mr. Fluffles agrees with me too," Arthur promised as he carefully clipped the barrette into the pages of his sketchbook inside his bag.

"Ah...there you are, dear Lukas and Arthur."

The two boys looked up to find Mother Serenity and Sister Francine entering the room.

"We've been looking everywhere for you, Lukas," Mother Serenity remarked.

"Sorry, Mother Serenity. I wanted to help Arthur pack up and say goodbye to him properly before he goes..." Lukas shuffled his feet.

"That's understandable. You're being such a thoughtful friend. Sister Francine is ready to take you to meet your new family for a second meeting."

"They're ready to meet you again, Lukas. Let's not keep them waiting, especially Abel. He's been wanting to see you again," Sister Francine said, watching Lukas roll his eyes even though he was slightly grinning, "Shall we?"

"Take care, okay? Will you call me?" Arthur hugged Lukas who was still gripping onto the storybook.

"As soon as I can. Take care of my barrette, okay? Doesn't matter if you wear it or use it as a bookmark, I just want to make sure you won't forget."

"I won't..."

* * *

After watching Sister Francine and Lukas leave, Arthur was left alone with Mother Serenity. It was then she noticed how pensive the little boy looked as he sat down on the worn mattress of his bed, hugging Mr. Fluffles and his backpack close to his chest. The head nun sat down beside him, her weight dipping the mattress slightly deeper.

"A penny for your thoughts, my child?"

"I never thought this day would come, Mother Serenity...I'm finally going home with a family that loves me..." Arthur looked up at the nun who smiled down at him gently, "What time is it? When did they say that they'll come for me?"

Mother Serenity glanced down at her watch, "Your new family will be here at two o'clock. There's still five more minutes to go, dear."

"I see..."

They sat in silence for a while until Mother Serenity noticed her charge's pensive look turning into a sad frown. It made her concerned.

"My child? Is there something on your mind?"

"I-"

"Artie! There you are! The hero's here as promised!"

Their hearts jumped upon the jovial voice. Arthur looked up to find Alfred happily grinning at him. The teenager rushed into the room and scooped Arthur up, giving him a crushing embrace which in turn made him drop Mr. Fluffles and his backpack. Mother Serenity chuckled behind her hand at the comical sight. Then she decided to make her exit to have one final conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Alfred saw Mother Serenity nod her head at him with a smile and returned the gesture in silent assurance that they'd be down shortly.

"Oomph! Let go of me, stupid! Can't breathe!" Arthur cried out, struggling in the tight cocoon.

"Oops! Sorry! Sorry! I got too excited to finally see you again and bring you home!" Alfred exclaimed, loosening his hug and allowing Arthur to nuzzle him properly, "Better now?"

Arthur breathed deeply before relaxing in Alfred's arms. The teenager smelt like deodorant, chips and apples...an oddly comforting scent. Then he nodded in affirmation and tightened his little arms around the strong neck, feeling intense relief that his big brother had came back as promised...he was really going home...

"You really came..." Arthur whispered, pressing himself against his brother.

"Of course, little bro...I made a promise, remember?" Alfred pulled back and ruffled his hair as he leaned his forehead against his. Arthur had never known how pretty his brother's blue eyes were behind the spectacles...they really looked bright like a summer's sky as he imagined, "Excited? You're finally coming home with us...Mother Serenity just went out and mum and dad are waiting for us."

"Where's Matthew? Is he here with you?"

"No, Mattie had to be somewhere for the moment. Doing some last minute grocery shopping for mum. He'll meet us here before we go home together. Oh man...I can't believe that at last you're really gonna be our little brother. This is gonna be awesome."

Arthur felt elated upon hearing these cheerful words...yet at the same time, he felt a strange ache accompanying that happiness. The little boy felt as if he hadn't the right to fully be with his new family...then he thought of his real family...his real mummy, daddy and brothers...when he couldn't save them that day...it made his heart hurt...it made the lump in his throat bigger...and it made his eyes burn...

"Artie? Arthur? What's the matter?"

Arthur looked up to find Alfred frowning slightly with concern in his eyes. A large hand rested on his cheek. It felt warm...and wet...

"W-What do you mean?" Arthur was surprised to find his voice cracking.

"You're crying, Arthur...what's making you sad, buddy?"

"Uhm...ah..." Arthur was at a loss for words. Alfred sat down on the bed and held his little brother close to his chest as he sat on his long legs.

"Arthur...you can tell me anything that's bothering you...I'm here to listen. No matter what you say, I will help you as a hero should..." Alfred said lovingly and reassuringly, "I'm your big brother...please tell me how I can help you..."

"Anything, A-Alfie?" Arthur's voice was small and meek and Alfred noted the soft way the little boy said 'Alfie'...it must mean that he was really emotional and needed comfort...he was gladly to give it all because he was his hero...

"Sure, Artie...anything at all..."

"Alfie...I'm happy to finally go home with you, mummy, daddy and Mattie but...I feel like I'm abandoning my real mummy, daddy and brothers...and sometimes I get scary dreams about them, saying that I don't matter...but I love them with all my heart...I still do...see?" Arthur reached for his backpack and pulled out the same tiny photo album he had seen a week ago. The little boy opened it and there Alfred finally saw the very few pictures and the newspaper clipping that peaked his curiosity. Then Arthur ran a hand gently over the solemn faces in the pictures before looking up at Alfred, tears lingering in his emerald green eyes, "Am I a bad person to think this way, Alfie? I know I am..."

Alfred sighed deeply, wondering how he would answer his little brother. He still hated what Arthur's real family did to him...yet his father's words about Arthur's enduring and unconditional love for them rang true. He took the album from Arthur and read what was in the clipping, sighing shakily when he saw the picture of the terrible wreckage. Arthur could have died on that day...Alfred carefully repacked the album back into his bag before cuddling Arthur close to his chest and spoke his honest answer...

"If anything, Arthur, I think you are a sweet, kind and loving kid to still love your real family even though they didn't love or care for you as they should. It's me who is the bad person. In truth, I hate your parents and brothers for what they did to you...and I will never forgive them..." Alfred paused to gauge Arthur's reaction.

Arthur looked a bit hurt and confused, "I don't understand...they were still my mummy, daddy and brothers."

"I know that...and it looks like I can't change the way you think of your real family even though they treated you badly. But I will tell you this: you're going to be loved and cared for in your new family. Mum and dad love you very much and Mattie and I couldn't wait to show you how much we love and care for you as our new little brother. We already made great new memories together when we went to our excursion to Pasture Heaven," Alfred emphasised his point by taking out his sketchbook and placing it on Arthur's lap. The little boy flipped it open to find the drawings he made on that last Saturday, which was the best day of his life with his new family...Arthur looked up at Alfred who was smiling at him, "There will be many more adventures like this to come...and you're going to be with us all the way, Artie..."

"Really?" Arthur asked in a small voice, "You'll never leave me?"

"Yeah...we're family now...and no one gets left behind..." Alfred placed the sketchbook aside and hugged Arthur impossibly tighter. This time, Arthur didn't complain of being squashed against the strong chest. It made him feel safe and protected...only Alfred would make him feel this way, "Does this answer your question?"

Arthur nodded against him, feeling his chest unclench and a deep warmth cleansing him.

"You won't forget Brownie, Unicorn and my fairy friends too, right? They want to come too..."

"Of course, buddy...uh...your friends are my friends...they can come too..."

They sat in a deep and comfortable silence until a gentle knock made them look up. It was Matthew and Arthur's eyes lit up as he sat up in Alfred's embrace.

"Matthew! You're here!"

"Of course I am, Arthur. I wouldn't miss bringing you home with the rest of the family," Matthew smiled and patted Arthur's head. Then Matthew fist bumped his twin in greeting, "Ready to go? Mum and dad are waiting for us."

"All right, Mattie. Then let's carry Artie's stuff to the car."

Mattie lifted two cardboard boxes and left the room first. Alfred repacked the sketchbook and helped Arthur settle the backpack onto the shoulders. Then, Alfred carefully lifted the third and final box. Arthur hugged and nuzzled against Alfred's jean clad leg, feeling Alfred's long fingers carding through his hair. Mr. Fluffles was carefully passed to him whereupon he hugged his treasured toy tightly to his swelling chest.

"Let's not keep everyone waiting, Arthur..."

Arthur looked up to find a gentle warm smile radiating on the teenager's cheerful face and a free hand offered to him. He felt his lips upturn to return the smile as he slipped his tiny hand into the large palm whereupon the long fingers carefully clamped over his. He mentally called Brownie, Unicorn and all his magical friends to remain close so that they wouldn't get lost when they would arrive at their new home. Together they walked out of the room.

* * *

"_Dear Mother Serenity, how are you? I've just come home with my new family. Everyone is so good to me. My new big brothers, Matthew and Alfred have played with me and read stories all day and are very nice to me. My new mummy and daddy are so understanding and they still love me even though I'm still a bit fidgety with their hugs and kisses and they even cooked my favourite food for dinner to welcome me home: fish and chips. I have my own room and it's near to my brothers. It's much bigger than my old one back at the children's home and it has a nice view of a nearby park. Unicorn and Brownie really like it here too and think it's a very lovely place to be in. My fairy friends are happy because of the pretty flowers in mummy's garden. I think I'll really like being here and come to really love my new family. I miss you and your kind face but I hope that my mummy and daddy will let me come and visit every now and then. I have to go to sleep because I have a big day ahead tomorrow. Please take care and I hope to hear from you soon. Love, Arthur._"

Arthur looked up hopefully at Mr. Jones who was reading his letter out loud as they sat down on his new bed.

"Is that okay, daddy? I was hoping that I can mail it to Mother Serenity to let her know how I'm doing," Arthur asked shyly.

"I think it's a wonderfully written letter, son. I'm sure Mother Serenity will enjoy reading it," Mr. Jones smiled and squeezed his shoulder softly, "Those pyjamas suit you well, Arthur. Your mum is quite a tailor."

"I like them...they're so soft and squishy like Mr. Fluffles," Arthur smiled back, knowing that Mr. Jones was referring to his grassy green pyjamas with patterned bunnies that were tailored by Mrs. Jones as her present to her new son. Just then, two heads peeked through the door, "Matthew? Alfred?"

"I think I'll leave you three alone for more bonding time. I just need to let your mum know of your letter so that we can post it tomorrow. Good night, son," Mr. Jones gave a chaste kiss on Arthur's head before leaving the room to allow Matthew and Alfred to enter. Alfred made himself comfortable on Arthur's bed.

"Hey, Arthur, we're ready to tuck you into bed."

"Story first, please?" Arthur requested.

"Sure thing, I'll bring a few for you to choose."

Matthew moved to the bookshelf while Alfred crossed his legs so that Arthur could cuddle up to him.

"You can never get enough of Mattie's stories, huh?" Alfred grinned, making Arthur look up at him.

"That's why I prefer him to read stories and not you. Sorry, Alfred, you need a special talent for this sort of thing and your comics are really boring."

"Oh well, the hero won't give up until you at least like one of my superhero comics," Alfred said with resigned humour, "But all the same, I'm glad to see you're in better spirits, Artie..."

"Not Artie..." Arthur snuggled close to Alfred's chest, hearing his heart beat against his ear, "I'm glad to be with you, Matthew and mummy and daddy...as my family..."

Alfred chuckled warmly and chastely kissed his head. They turned their attention to Matthew who returned with a small pile of books. Arthur felt giddy upon seeing the new storybooks about Winnie the Pooh. He was really looking forward to their adventures. Matthew finally opened a book and started reading it aloud.

Just then, Alfred squeezed a large hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear so not to interrupt his twin's reading, "Welcome home, little brother..."

Arthur leaned back against Alfred and took in Mattew's animated voice as he read. He thought back on all the thoughtful gestures and wonderful gifts his new mummy and daddy and big brothers did for him...it made his heart warm and light...his wish for a family came true and it was a new beginning of lovely new memories in the making.

He was loved...

He was cherished...

Arthur knew that now...he looked back up to Alfred, his eyes shining like emeralds and his smile soft and sweet as he whispered back to him...

"I am home...big brother..."

**The End...**

* * *

**Author's notes:** Hurray! Arthur's wish has finally come true and now he is with a family that loves him...AWWWW! Thank you for joining me in Arthur's story in how he came to be adopted into the Jones family and how he will be doted by his new parents and big brothers. Ah! I have decided to add in an epilogue to this story :) You will have to wait to find ooooout :) thank you to all who have taken the time to review, favourite and/or follow this story from the beginning to the end. Until the epilogue, I shall continue writing and reading, kudos to you my dears!


	10. The Best Birthday Present

**Author's notes:** Yay! I finally finished the epilogue! I'm so sorry that it took extremely long because life has been full of unexpected suprises and I have been extremely busy in the form of my 1.5 year old son...In addition, I rewritten this piece several times until it satisfies the vision I wanted. This is to really bring closure to how Arthur is settling in with his new family. This piece takes place after 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' so we get a glimpse on how Arthur has celebrated his 5th birthday... let's find out...

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hetalia by Hidekaz Himaruya. I only own the overall plot and the main following OCs: Mother Serenity, Sister Francine, Sister Diane, Janet and Auntie Rosie. And don't forget a lovely farm called Pasture Heaven. There is a snippet from a children's book titled 'Sweet Dreams, Peter' by Beatrix Potter added for effect.

**Other notes:** contains brotherly grouping with Canada, America and England but also contains USUK as main brotherly pairing. Human AU setting and the epilogue takes place after _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. May contain OOC depending on interpretation.

* * *

**Somebody Is Waiting For You**

Epilogue: The Best Birthday Present

_1 year later..._

Arthur sleepily rubbed his eyes and yawned as he felt himself being cradled in large strong arms and being pressed against a large strong chest as he heard soothing voices in his ear. He could vaguely hear muffled noises of some grown-up chatter and some sounds of clattering and shuffling coming from the kitchen. But Arthur didn't care as he continued nuzzling against the warm structure cocooning him. The little boy had never felt so tired and sleepy in his entire life...even though the small smile hadn't faded from his face since this morning. In truth, he just had the best and happiest day of his life of celebrating his fifth birthday with his new mummy, daddy and his two big brothers.

He looked around his surroundings as he continued to be cuddled and rocked gently. His sleepy vision made out his mummy, daddy and Auntie Rosie talking in peaceful conversation as they sipped coffee. Boris, the golden retriever was sleeping peacefully at his his mistress' feet...the sight making Arthur yawn even louder and caught the attention of the adults and the gentle presence cocooning him. Matthew wasn't in the vicinity...that meant he was in the kitchen...that would explain the clattering he heard there...

"Artie? Artie?"

Arthur struggled to keep his eyes open and blearily looked up to find Alfred looking down at him with a grin on his face.

"You're tired, aren't you, buddy? Do you want me to tuck you into bed? I think you had enough excitement today..."

Arthur nodded slowly with a hum, wrapping his arms around the strong neck as he was hefted in the air. Then he sleepily looked towards the three adults now approaching his increasingly blurry vision. His mummy had a knowing smile on her sweet face, his daddy was gazing warmly at him and Auntie Rose had a sympathetic smile as she reached out to stroke his hair.

"Awww the wee little lamb is all tuckered out?" Auntie Rosie cooed.

"It's waaay past his bedtime. Mum, dad, can I be excused so that I can put Artie to sleep?"

"Not Artie..." Arthur protested and weakly butted his messy blonde head against the teenager's chin, earning a slight pained grunt.

"Ok, Ok, birthday boy..."

"Sure, Alfred. I know that Grumpy Bear and Mr Fluffles wouldn't want to be forgotten," Mrs. Jones mentioned as she picked up the aforementioned toys.

"Don't forget Flying Mint Bunny, mummy! You made him for me!" Arthur suddenly said, momentarily snapping out of his sleepy stupor.

"So I did, here he is, sweetie. Hold onto them now..." Mrs. Jones said soothingly even though there was a proud twinkle in her eye as she passed the three toys to him.

Mrs Jones watched as Alfred repositioned Arthur in a bridal style so that the little boy could carry all three stuffed toys safely in his arms. She had every reason to be proud as a seamstress because she personally made the new addition for her youngest son's birthday present as per his request to bring the creature to life from many of his drawings. Arthur had been so ecstatic upon seeing the little stuffed minty green bunny fitted with angel wings and had carried with it for the entire day. He eventually brought Grumpy Bear and Mr. Fluffles to meet him during his birthday dinner and he declared that they were all best friends.

"Did you have a great time, son?" Mr Jones asked, earning a soft nod in return.

"Thank you for the new colouring books and crayons, I really like them very much, daddy."

"I'm very happy you liked them, son. Goodnight kisses?"

"Yes, please..." his sleepy response earned him gentle kisses from his loving parents.

"Come on, let's get you to bed, Arthur..."

* * *

"You finished brushing your teeth? We don't want you to have cavities after having Auntie Rosie's world famous strawberry, caramel and chocolate cake. She really spoiled you rotten today."

"Yes, I'm done...Alfred? When is Matthew coming? I want you both to tuck me in before I fall asleep," Arthur lumbered out of the bathroom, looking a bit disoriented but managed to snuggle onto his older brother who was patiently waiting nearby.

"Ah no sleep until Matthew's story, huh? He'll be up as soon as he's loading the dishes in to the dishwasher, little bro. Come on, I'll help you in your pajamas and then we'll wait for him."

"And snuggle more?"

"And snuggle more."

After making sure that Arthur was dressed in his pajamas, Arthur gathered his three toys and pressed himself against the older boy. Alfred smiled and made himself comfortable on the small bed, allowing him to quietly lie on his chest and stomach. The two boys lied in a comfortable silence and Alfred took the chance to look around his room. The room, which was empty before Arthur moved in, was taking on more colour and reflected those of its resident. The once barren walls were lined with colourful drawings and his growing collection of family pictures. The shelves that were now chock filled with storybooks, colouring books and sketchbooks, old and new. He also noticed a small pile of unopened presents near one of the shelves, which were all posted from the orphanage. Mother Serenity and the other children hadn't forgotten him at all. Then he saw one particular present sitting on his brother's desk: it was special as it was given by a very good friend...

"Hey...Alfred...thanks for taking me out for the day...I got to see Lukas again..."

"Hey, no need to thank me. I'm glad you and Lukas had a great time together."

* * *

Arthur and Lukas continued to keep in touch through calling each other with permission from their parents. But with the boys going to different daycare centres and their families' busy schedules, they hadn't the right time to actually meet up for a play date...until Arthur's birthday came around. It was then Alfred decided that it would be the perfect birthday present for his little brother. So he called the number in private and with luck, was able to talk to his older adopted brother, Abel and planned the outing together, having found the common connection in their love for and wanting to please their younger siblings. They agreed to meet up at Central Park so that Arthur could spend his birthday with Lukas.

As Arthur enjoyed his sumptuous pancake breakfast made courtesy of Matthew and being showered endlessly with affection by their parents, Alfred packed a picnic basket, filling it with food Mrs. Jones prepared the day before. When Alfred was finished, he found the little boy squeaking with delight at his new presents from their parents. When it was time to go, Arthur was clutching Flying Mint Bunny by his side with adoration and reassured Mr. Fluffles and Grumpy Bear who were held by Mrs. Jones that his new friend needed some bonding time before coming home for dinner and that they were always his best friends.

After a short bus ride, they arrived at their destination where another pair of siblings were awaiting their arrival. Arthur, having recognised his good friend, squealed once again as he ran to hug the Norwegian boy tightly. Lukas fiercely reciprocated the gesture, his pale stoic face unusually bright and smiling. Alfred and Abel shared a fist bump in greeting and watched their younger brothers chatter animatedly like little birds as they excitedly caught up with what's happening in their new family lives.

Arthur had a wonderful time at the picnic as Mrs. Jones packed his favourite foods and beverages and there was plenty to share. It was wonderful at Central Park as the day was pleasantly sunny. After a hearty lunch and a bit of rough play with their brothers in the grass, it was then Lukas presented his birthday gift to him: an illustrated book filled with Norwegian fairytales. Alfred and Abel lazily lounged nearby and had idle conversation as they supervised the younger boys deeply engrossed in the storybook. But before long, the day was drawing to a close and it was time for both pairs of siblings to go their separate ways. As expected, both Arthur and Lukas were reluctant to part. But after some lengthy pinky promises from their older brothers to arrange another weekend play date, they wished each other well and said goodbye...

* * *

"I'm glad that Auntie Rosie and Boris are staying for the weekend...it was a really nice surprise..." Arthur stated, looking up at Alfred.

"I told you she's awesome, isn't she? She's going to spoil you with more of her goodies. She and Boris wouldn't miss your birthday for the world. I can guarantee you that once she's gone, you'll be missing her sweets, cakes and pies for weeks."

"Well, I hope that won't deter you from my pancakes."

The new voice belonged to Matthew who entered the bedroom to join his siblings. Arthur leapt from Alfred to hug the gentle older teenager.

"Your pancakes are sweeter, fluffier and tastier so don't you worry, Matthew. Do you think I can have some more tomorrow for breakfast?" Arthur asked with a sweet smile.

Matthew chuckled and nuzzle his forehead against his, "Of course, you can, Arthur and I'll add more maple syrup for extra sweetness if you like."

Arthur suddenly heaved a long loud yawn, blinking his emerald green eyes blankly.

"I think a short bedtime story is in order so that you'll sleep faster, you hardly had a nap during the whole day," Matthew decided as he browsed Arthur's bookshelf before taking out a royal blue cardboard book, "How does 'Sweet Dreams, Peter' sound to you, Arthur?"

Arthur smiled as he snuggled against Alfred and clutched his three toys even tighter. He loved Peter Rabbit as much as his other beloved literary and TV characters, "Yes please. Alfred? Matthew?"

"Yeah, Arthur?" Alfred questioned.

"I'm the luckiest boy in the world. I had a wonderful birthday and it's the best day I ever had..."

"Only the best for our little brother," Alfred said as he and Matthew hugged the child in a group hug.

* * *

"...the wood is silent, the moon is bright...now all are asleep on this starry night...the end..." Matthew finished, closing the book. His face softened upon seeing Arthur already fast asleep on Alfred's chest, "Come on, I'll help you."

Alfred whispered his thanks to his twin. The two teenagers carefully manoeuvred their sibling onto the plush bed. While Alfred placed the storybook back into its slot on the bookshelf, Matthew carefully tucked the comforter around Arthur and his toy companions. The last thing Alfred did was to leave on the Care Bear nightlight, casting the room in a warm comforting glow. The boys lingered around the bed, watching Arthur sleep with fond looks on their faces.

"We're lucky to have Arthur as our brother, Alfred," Matthew commented in a whisper as they gazed at the younger boy in the bed, "Can't believe it's already been what...over a year or so?"

"Tell me about it, bro," Alfred agreed, before turning to his twin with a mysterious twinkle in his eye, "Does he have any idea that we're all going to Disneyland tomorrow as his last ultimate birthday surprise?"

Matthew shook his head with a matching mysterious twinkle, "Absolutely no idea at all. I'm glad mum and dad were into it as well. It's our fault for getting him hooked onto the classic movies in the first place after all..."

"And he kept on talking about it since then...not easy to save up our share but it's worth it! It'll be awesome going there again...it's also a great excuse to bring Auntie Rosie and Boris will be safe in the Kennel Club."

"We'd better get some shut eye soon, it's going to be a big day tomorrow. Mum and dad wants us all to leave early so that we can avoid the morning traffic jam," Matthew then leaned over and kissed Arthur's head, "Sweet dreams, Arthur. Night, Alfred."

"Night, bro."

Alfred took a while longer to observe the little boy who had become a cherished part of their family. He smiled and softly combed the messy blonde hair. Arthur sighed and fell into a deeper sleep, nuzzling against his large palm. He leaned in and softly spoke to the sleeping boy.

"Artie, I know I keep on saying this but this is to make sure the message stays forever in that messy head of yours and in that stubborn, loving heart. Never think you are unwanted or unloved...you are a cherished little brother to Mattie and me and a third son mum and dad wanted with all their hearts. We are family...and family means we love and take care of each other no matter what. We will always be here for you whether you are happy, sad, angry, lost...whatever you're feeling. We love you and we always will...I love you, little brother."

"Alfie..." Arthur mumbled in his sleep, a tiny hand brushed against his fingers, "Love mummy...love daddy...love Mattie...love you, Alfie too..."

Alfred's heart swelled with loving pride. He leaned in and kissed Arthur's forehead.

"Always..."

THE END

* * *

**Author's notes:** IT IS OFFICIALLY FINISHED! I really really apologise for taking AGES to tie up loose ends for this story and I'm actually happy with it. Now I can tackle other projects at hand. And perhaps a sequel to an ancient Harry Potter will be in the works. Just so you know, the inclusion of 'Sweet Dreams, Peter' by Beatrix Potter is a shoutout to my son's favourite bedtime story. Until then, my dears, keep reading!


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